


The Truth Behind Lies

by reinla



Category: Roswell (TV 1999)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-08
Updated: 2020-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:20:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 38,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23067640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reinla/pseuds/reinla
Summary: In the final moments before their departure was planned chaos, erupts. What happens when Tess kidnaps Liz and takes her as a hostage back to Antar? What happens to Liz when she returns to earth only to end up with the dupes?
Relationships: Maria DeLuca/Michael Guerin, Max Evans/Liz Parker
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11





	1. Chapter 1

Time ticked slowly away as the granolith counted down the remaining minutes until it was prepared. The usually quiet room housing the monstrous artifact was abuzz with the sounds of voices yelling. Max, Michael, Isabel, and Tess had been ready to leave for their planet when at the last minute, Michael had realized that his home was on earth with Maria. Biding his farewell, he left the pod chamber only to be stopped by Liz, Maria, and Kyle, who rushed to explain what was happening.

“Michael, we have to get back in there. Max and Isabel are in danger. Tess is the one that put Alex in the coma,” Liz rushed the words out. “Look, we don’t have time to sit here and explain we need to go.”

Casting his gaze from Liz to Maria, Michael smiled as he turned around and headed back inside. He knew the others would follow, and he only hoped that Liz was wrong about this. As the four approached the entrance to the granolith chamber, Michael could hear the arguing coming from within. Speeding up his approach, he raised his arm as he prepared to defend his brother and sister if need be.

Liz was the first to speak to the group, alerting them all to the fact that they were not alone. “You BITCH!” she yelled as her feet carried her to the small blond standing next to Max. “We trusted you, took you into our group, tried to make you feel like you belonged, and this is how you repay us? You use your powers on Alex until his brain was so weak that it almost gave out, forcing him into a coma! How could you do that? Was getting a translation for your little book that important to you that you didn’t care who you hurt?”

Isabel gasped as she listened to the words that Liz spoke before turning her eyes onto Tess with a hateful look. She was angry beyond words but knew that there was nothing that she could say right now. Walking to stand next to Michael, she raised her arm in an attempt to kill Tess if it came to that.

Kyle and Maria had both chosen to stay back from the group, but for different reasons. Neither had the power to defend themselves if Tess decided to turn on them. A small part of Kyle was furious that she would use his friendship as a cover for her actions. He had truly felt like he had made a connection with Tess, and discovering that the other woman betrayed him made it harder to bear. Maria, on the other hand, agreed with Liz. They had genuinely tried to embrace Tess even after the whole destiny fiasco, wanted to make her feel included, and she betrayed them all by harming Alex.

Even before Liz spoke, Max knew she was there, he could sense her through their connection. Her words caused pain and anguish to wash over him in large waves. His brain and heart were both screaming at him. How stupid could you be? You give up the one person who would never betray you to be with some bimbette that only wanted to hurt you, in the end, Hardening his gaze, Max looked at Tess. “Why? We took you in, made you one of us. We accepted the crap you spewed about destinies, and this is how you repay us? Why do you want to go back, Tess? Can’t deal with the knowledge that we know what kind of monster you are?”

Taking in the angry looks of the four standing near her, Tess smiled to herself. “You are all weak fools. This planet truly has corrupted the once great King Zan.” Turning to study the small brunette that had been the source of a lot of her problems with Max, Tess spoke abruptly. “Alex was the smartest of you, the only one that could have truly helped. While it was not my intention to put him in a coma, using my powers served there purpose. I shall go home and deliver the three of you to Kivar as promised.”

The small gasp from Liz was audible over the silence of the others. Walking forward slowly, Liz approached Tess with a look that spoke volumes. “What do you mean as promised? No one has had contact with Kivar in over fifty years, at least not since the crash. Are you trying to tell us that Ava was loyal to the man who had her and the rest of the royal family murdered?”

Dead silence filled the chamber for a moment as everyone allowed the news to sink in. The group all knew that Tess had been raised by Nasedo and that his teachings had an enormous influence on his life, but it was hard to believe that she would willingly betray her king. The rapid ticking brought everyone’s focus on the timer that was counting down.

Realizing that she had very little time, Tess did the only thing she could think of. Reaching out, she grabbed hold of the one thing that would bring Max to his knees, Liz, and placed her hand on the granolith. Within seconds both girls were surrounded by a soft blue light before disappearing only to reemerge inside the shiny black surface of the granolith. Giving one final declaration, Tess spoke with hatred in her voice. “I will have my revenge Zan. You may not have loved me on Antar, and you don’t love me here; I will take my revenge by taking the one thing you do love.”

As soon as her words finished, the ground beneath the chamber started shaking as rocks fell from the roof. “LIZ! Max yelled as he tried to rush forward towards the granolith. His movements halted by the fact that both Michael and Kyle were holding him back.

“We have to get out of here, this whole place is going to crash down around us,” Michael yelled as he pulled Max along with him. “Let’s go. Now!”

The others followed as they ran from the pod chamber and into the warm early morning desert air. No sooner did they step out of the room than the rocks started to crumble as it prepared to give away. The roaring of a ship's engine burst through the silence, as they watched helplessly as the ship left with their friend on board.

As Max watched the ship leave, he felt his legs give out from underneath him. The love of his life was gone,, and it felt as if a part of his heart had was ripped out with it. She was in danger, traveling to a planet with their betrayer, and he could do nothing to save her. He was so distraught that he barely acknowledged the hand that gripped his shoulder or the hugs from the others. Turning his head to his right, he saw his best friend and brother standing there, hand on his shoulder with a look almost as sad as his own.

“We will get her back to you, Maxwell, that I promise,” Michael whispered, but the others heard it. “We will bring your queen back and make them all pay for their betrayal.”

“Michael is right, Max, we will find a way to bring Liz back to you, but for now, we need to leave. We can’t go home yet, but we can go to Micheal’s for awhile if it is alright with him,” Isabel spoke.

Kyle approached Max slowly, “I know that we have not always been the best of friends, but if you would allow me, I want to help you guys in any way that I can. Isabel is right. We need to leave this place and go somewhere else.” He placed his hand gently on Max’s other shoulder to show his support.

Maria was in tears, but she too felt like she had to speak on this issue. “Max, you know that was my best friend that was taken. I could kill you for getting her involved in any of this, but that would not be fair to you, nor is it what Liz would want. She loved you dearly, and she will do whatever she must to remain alive long enough for us to find a way to get her back. I love you, Max, you are like the brother I never had, and I know Alex would say the same thing.” Gently she hugged the man that had captured the heart of her best friend.

Not wanting to break up the comfort-fest, Michael shifted on his feet. “We need to get out of here. That ship taking off had to have caught a few eyes. Why don’t we head back to my place and get some rest?” With that said, he drags Max towards the car without allowing him to say anything.

Max could barely feel his feet moving as he was drug over to Maria’s car and shoved in the backseat. Isabel climbed in beside her brother and made room for Kyle. Maria slid into the passenger seat, allowing Michael the privilege of driving her Jetta away from the scene of the event that would scar her for life.


	2. Chapter 2

Pressure built rapidly inside the granolith as it took off through space. The air became thinner and harder to breathe as the oxygen compressed out of the chamber. Liz was rapidly losing the ability to stay conscious and Tess could only watch as the girl gave in to the darkness. They would be on Antar soon, back with her people and Kivar. She only hoped that she could get him to believe her lies long enough for her carry on with her plan.

Tess knew that without coming back with Max, Michael, and Isabel she stood less of a chance at defeating Kivar. She wanted revenge on them all, Kivar for betraying her and killing them, Zan for loving a human more than his own wife, Rath for standing steadfast with Zan and never questioning anything, Vilondra for being the pampered princess that Ava had so desperately wanted to. Most of all she would have her revenge on Liz for standing in the way of her true goals.

Since emerging from the pod a year later than everyone else, Tess had been under the constant watch of Nasedo. His powers had allowed her to open up her alien side, to remember her past life. He had told her that she belonged with Zan as his queen. She had been so blindly trusting that she had used her powers to try to seduce Max into loving her because he was Zan. Even after she realized that he was with his soul mate she could not stop trying to follow Nasedo’s orders and she would pay for it dearly.

The ride from earth to Antar only took a matter of hours, the small craft landing softly in a grassy knoll near a landing dock. The hissing of a hidden door as it slid open, slowly brought Liz back to consciousness but not fast enough to stop the men from grabbing her and Tess from the granolith. Two soldiers for each girl dragged them from the ship and towards the palace steps.

Liz stumbled as she tried to shake her head clear of the fog that seemed to pervade it ever since she landed on Antar. She got the feeling that something big was about to go down but she had no idea when. Turning her gaze to her right she saw Tess look on with fear as they approached the palace.

There standing before them was a huge building, with white stones and yellow brick sidewalks. It looked like someone had thrown an Irish castle on top of the yellow brick road from the Wizard of Oz and Liz had to fight back a small chuckle. From the angle she was at she could see small mansions dotting the landscape and wondered if anyone was poor on this planet. In the distance she could hear a few explosions, assuming it must be Kivar’s men against some troops still loyal to King Zan. She had been so caught up in her assessment of the city that she failed to notice where she was being taken.

Tess and Liz were led to the palace and into the throne room where Kivar stood waiting. Upon entering the room, both girls were thrown to the ground in front of the blond man. Tess managed a proper bow, “Your majesty. Pardon me for the intrusion but may I speak as to why I am here?” her saccharine-sweet tone carried through the hall.

Liz managed a glare at the man that had killed her Max in a past life, at a man who had caused them so much pain and anguish. She would speak when she got her chance even if it cost her everything. Look at her trying to butter him up. She is lucky we were not killed upon landing but she has to continue to push her welcome she thought with a sigh.

Kivar studied the two young girls in front of him, his blue eyes flicking between each of them. He was not shocked to see the double of Ava bowing before him trying to win him over with her errant flirting. Flicking his gaze to the brunette he was stumped a moment, there was something vaguely familiar about her but he could not quite place it. Nodding his head to the blond he spoke to her with anger in his voice, “I see Ava that you still do not know how to address your superiors. Your little friend here is currently showing me more respect than you, but I digress for now. Why have you returned and where are the others? I believe we had a deal?”

“Your highness, there were complications. Max… Zan he was not so easily persuaded to come. The others they were able to convince him at the last moment that Earth was where he belonged but do not fret my lord. We still hold power over him, her, she is his love. When I stole her he was so distraught I doubt he would put up much of a fight,” Tess spoke rapidly.

Kivar could only gasp a small moment as his eyes once again focused on the brunette. Smirking at the possibilities running through his mind Kivar reached out and pulled Liz’s head up by her hair so he could study her face. The shock that registered on his face was hard to miss, as he sent her flying back a few feet with his powers. Turning to Tess he unleashed his confusion, “You bring her here? Now? What were you thinking? Do you have any idea who she is?”

Tess was getting a bit nervous as she looked from Kivar to Liz and back. “She is just some stupid whore that Max fell for. She is his weakness, I do not see what the problem is.”

“The problem… The problem is that SHE is supposed to be DEAD! I made sure of it.” Kivar seethed. How could it be? How is it that he could not sense it from the beginning. He knew he could not kill her, lest someone find out and truly overthrows him. No, he had to treat her with some amount of respect and give her small freedoms but she would be watched. “Guards!” commanded Kivar, “Show them to their room. Ava is in the one beside mine where she has always been and that thing..” he said pointed to Liz’s crumpled form, “gets to be housed next to Zol.”

As soon as he was done speaking the guards once again grabbed their charges and pulled them towards their rooms. Tess was shoved into one of the royal bed chambers. It was opulent, deep wooden tones and metals made things stand out. On the vanity were a set of brushes with jewels encrusted in. She smirked at all of the beautiful things that decorated the room before she set off to explore. She found she had her own bathroom but that her bedroom connected with Kivar’s, which made her smirk grow wider.

Liz was thrown into the smallest of the guest rooms. Blinking a few times to adjust to the dim lights she noticed that the furniture looked a lot like it did on earth. There were similarities all over the place, making her want to explore, to touch that scientific side of her again. The sound of her door clicking and locking shut snapped her out of her temporary daydream. She was too exhausted to process everything that had happened, so she climbed up on the small cot. As she lay there she could feel the tears fall as her thoughts traveled to her love, to Max.


	3. Chapter 3

Amber eyes stared at the barren desert with no hope, watching as sand and cactus dotted the landscape from the pod chamber back to Roswell. Quiet filled the small car forcing its inhabitants to dwell on their own thoughts. Pain and anguish warred with his soul as the the powerful emotions ripped through him. Max was lost amidst a torrent of thoughts that traveled down a path he refused to go. His Liz was gone, taken to a home he would never see, she would more than likely be gone forever and he was completely at fault. As the car sped down the quiet highway Max could feel himself giving up, loosing the fight to care. He only wanted for this whole nightmare to be over, to go back to the way things were before Tess had arrived in Roswell.

Isabel cast a worried look to her left, staring at her younger brother with concern. She had a small idea what he was going through, having lost Alex in a way when he was put in a coma. Her heart broke as she stared at dead eyes, silently vowing to do whatever she could to find a way to bring Liz back to them all. Her thoughts were scattered as she watched their town rapidly approaching, before a moment of brilliance entered her mind. If Liz truly was on their home planet then perhaps Isabel might be able to dreamwalk her, to communicate with her. Smiling slightly she decided that she would try it not only for her brother but to make sure her friend was ok.

Kyle felt out of place sitting next to Max after everything that had happened. Anger rushed through his veins as his heart warred with his head. He had been used a pawn, a player in this horrible game and he felt like it was all his fault. Had he not been so adamant about pursuing Liz and trying to back at Max he would never have been brought into all this mess. He had allowed his feelings and friendship for Tess to cloud his judgment making it impossible to see that she was using her powers on him. A small part of him expected the group to hate him, after he unwilling helped Tess with the Alex ‘situation.’

Hands gripped the steering wheel tight as Michael pushed the Jetta as fast as he could towards Roswell. Fear was the dominating factor that kept him focused on the road. Fear that he was about to loose his brother permanently, fear that he would never see Maria happy again. Though he had not always been comfortable around Liz she was a vital part of their team. As protector and second in command he would die trying to bring his brother back the only thing that made him happy.

Maria was trying hard not to fidget in her seat as she watched Roswell appear in the window. She had known Liz and Alex since kindergarten and now she had lost them both. Alex lay in a comma at Roswell Memorial and Liz well she could only hope that she was still alive somewhere out there in the cosmos. Moisture leaked from her eyes as she wiped away her tears before sneaking a peak at Max from the rear view mirror. She was worried that he had not said anything since being dragged out of the pod chamber, normally he was quiet but this was too much.

Tires squealed as Michael threw the Jetta into a parking spot outside his apartment, slamming in the break and snapping all of the occupants out of their reveries. Slamming his door open he quickly ushered the others out of the vehicle and into his apartment. Max went willingly, not having the energy or desire to fight or resist. Cramming inside the tiny apartment, each person took a turn looking around, everyone afraid to be the first to speak.

“I think perhaps we should take a look at that destiny book thing again. I know it told you guys who you were in a past life but maybe there were things that you guys, something that might help us get her back,” Kyle suggested softly.

“I have to agree with Kyle on that one. There has to be a reason that the granolith allowed Liz to enter..” Isabel trailed off for a moment as a strange thought occurred to her. “Tess always said that humans could not touch it, would not be affected by it, perhaps when Liz was healed she became less human?”

The thought had appeared between all of them at one point or another, as a way to explain some of the mysterious happenings between Max and Liz, but the reality that it may very well be true seemed to sober them up even more.

Walking away from the others, Max slumped down on the couch. He felt hollow inside, like a part of his soul had died, but his heart was telling him to fight and stay strong. “I think we should each take some time to go over the book. I still have a copy of the translations that Alex made before his accident. Also perhaps we should try to activate the orbs again, maybe we can contact someone who can help us.”

Michael watched as Max grasped at straws but he seemed to agree. He was relieved to hear his brother speak and spoke for the first time, assuming command while Max allowed himself to morn. “Isabel, why don’t you head back to your house and gather some clothing and essentials for you and Max before returning. Maria, you should call Liz’s parents and come up with a cover story. Summer vacation officially starts tomorrow perhaps she went camping for a while?” Running a hand through his disheveled hair he took a breath before continuing, “Kyle we need you to intercept your father before he gives the tape to Max and Isabel’s parents, also he needs to know what is going down. I am going to go get us some food and extra supplies. I suggest we either hold up here or find us a place were all of us can sleep because we will be working on this for a while.”

After the initial shock of Michael taking control everyone left to go do as they had been told. When everyone had left the apartment Michael grabbed a Snapple from the fridge and sat down on the couch next to Max. “You know Maxwell you are my brother. I will do anything I can to help us get Liz back.”

“I know Michael and it means a lot to me. I will swear to you that if I ever see Tess again I will kill her slowly and painfully.” Black eyes full of rage looked strait ahead before continuing. “I remember how things were in our first life. She betrayed us then as she has betrayed us now.”

Within twenty minutes everyone had arrived back from their tasks and sat around the living room in the apartment preparing to make plans. Isabel had been the first to arrive, bringing in two large suitcases for both her and Max before shooing him off to the shower with his things. Kyle had been the next to arrive, bring his father with him as well as some clothes. Maria had been the last to arrive, she had made a detour to Liz’s room before leaving.

Looking around the group to see if she could spot Max, she sighed, “Mr. and Mrs. Parker believe that Liz is away at astronomy camp for the summer. To make it look real I had to go pack some of her clothes, because honestly who goes to camp with nothing. Also I brought this with me, I don’t think it has any relevance to the rest of you but it might help cheer Max up some.” Placing the journal on the table, Maria hid the suitcase full of clothes in the closet before taking a seat on the floor as she waited to hear what their next step was.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starting at chapter four, you will find that the chapters are divided into part A and part B. This is to distinguish between the timeline between Tess and Liz

Part A - 

Soon after being shown to the room beside Kivar’s, Tess was once again greeted with guards and escorted next door. She should have been petrified at meeting with him, knowing that he was the one that killed them all in their other life but she was simply awash in giddy joy. Growing up with Nesado had taught her a great many things, one being the deal he made. Never had she imagined that she would have been able to convince Max of their one night together without the use of her powers, so she had played it up fully. Tess remembered everything from her life as Ava, even the betrayal that was easily pinned on Vilondra.

Her footfalls fell heavy against the floor as she was left standing in front of the master bedroom. Civility was for the weak-minded she believed but until she was once again accepted as queen she would pretend to be hospitable and polite. Reaching out slowly she knocked on the door softly as she waited for her signal to enter. At the curt “Enter”, Tess pushed the door open and walked in slowly. Bowing she spoke with a sugary voice, “Your highness. I was told that you wished to see me. How may I be of service?”

“Sit down and shut up. We have much to discuss Ava and a small amount of time to do so.”

Taking a chair beside Kivar, Tess studied the room a moment. It was large, the size of two great rooms put together, with an odd assortment of remarkably human-looking furniture. The back well held the biggest bed she had ever seen, even having seen photos of celebrity houses. To the right of the bed was a small library, six shelves full of what looked to be books and scrolls, a small table making it obvious. There were couches and chairs scattered throughout, her eyes instinctively trying to seek out the large screen TV that men usually had in their bedrooms. It had been entirely too long since she had been in this room, even though it had changed so much.

Kivar studied her for a moment, So this is Ava. The clone that was made of the queen, of his sister? She has not changed much that is for sure but how much does she remember? Slouching back in his chair he smirked a moment. “We have many things to discuss sister. I would like to start with why you are back and why she is here with you?”

“I am back because of the deal Nesado made. You know who I was in that other life. I was the queen, ruling beside Zan. It is only unfortunate that you decided to attack the day of our wedding dear brother. You ruined my plans for destroying Zan then as much as that little trollop destroyed them on earth.” Blue eyes locked with each other as Tess stared at her older brother. “Her name is Liz and she is completely human. I brought her here because Max loves her and it would cause him pain. I know where you are going with your thoughts but stop right there. She is NOT Lyssaria, she is not Rath’s sister nor is she the true queen. She just happens to bear a striking resemblance to an insignificant stain on the royal line.”

Kivar was unsure of the words his sister spoke. The girl looked so much like Lyssaria it was truly a frightening though. He was weary of the girl but knew that he could not keep her locked up in the palace if he hoped to learn of ways to destroy Zan. “I only hope you are right dear sister. Was it not Lyssaria that killed you in the first place? I made sure she died a horrible and painful death, so imagine my shock when her twin shows up here. Be gone! You will find all of your things still in your room as you left them but the girl cannot stay this close to us. Until I have ascertained with certainty that she is now who I believe her to be she will be free to move about the city. Do not upset the balance here and you will not find yourself answering to me.”

With a curt nod, Tess stood and walked out of the room. Shock and anger surrounded her as she growled out her displeasure. She had been told in not so subtle terms to be nice to the little trollop until Kivar could determine whether she needed to die or not. It was advantageous to keep Liz alive for now, just until she knew that it would be safe to kill the girl.

Entering her old room and opening the doors to the armoire, Tess stared at all of her beautiful clothes. It had been so long since she had seen the luxuriant fabrics that graced the bodies of the noblewomen of Antar. Smiling indulgently to herself, she pulled out a red dress and flounced her way to the shower to prepare for the day. The trip had been tiring, not to mention the drama in the pod chamber but nothing could ruin her good mood, at least nothing for a while.

Part B - 

Darkness swam throughout the room as Liz lay still on the cot, if it could even be described as that. The bed was so small that her feet dangled off the edge, the blankets so thin they were almost see-through. Shivers ran through her body as she fought back the tears that threatened to spill out of her eyes. She had kept her eyes closed, her thoughts training on Max. She loved him so much, he was her soul mate and she would probably never see him again. Being human royally sucked, leaving her with no options.

After his conversation with Tess, Kivar walked a few rooms down and knocked on the door of Zol’s room. Zol was someone of power, the high priest of the royal line. He possessed the ability to interpret prophecies and dreams and had never failed. At the knock on his door, Zol cast his black eyes towards the offending wood. Standing slowly, he allowed his body to carry him to the door. Yanking open the door he sneered down at the bane of his existence. There was no love lost between Kivar and Zol, Zol being loyal to the original royal family and Kivar having taken over by force. “What do you want?”

“We have a guest that you need to take care of. Show her around the palace, the city but do not let her out of your sight for too long.” Kivar growled out his orders, “She looks just like Lyssaria and I expect you to find out how.”

Zol watched at Kivar stormed away. He had known that there was a human in the palace and had bid his time until he could try to help her. He had received communication from the resistance. It had told of the ship landing and two women being pulled from the wreckage, one blonde, one brunette. Now was his chance to help the girl escape while finding out who she was.

Exiting his room, Zol used his powers to open the door to the room that Liz occupied. He could see the young woman curled up on the horrible excuse for a bed, tears failing down her face as he approached. He was cautious not to make any sudden movements, not wanting to deal with a wild girl.

Liz heard someone come into the room and she ignored them, knowing that she was going to die sooner or later. When the man made slow movements Liz took the opportunity to sit up. She was afraid to speak, afraid that she would say something to anger them. She did not trust her mind not to ask why Kivar thought she was dead. “Who are you?

“Do not fear me little one. My name is Zol, I am high priest here on Antar. I have served the royal line for many years. I came to see if you were ok, the blonde queen can get a bit nasty when her plans are foiled. Will you tell me your name and what you are doing here?” He asked the girl softly. She looked terrified so he spoke again, “Perhaps if we took a walk outside the confines of the palace you would feel more comfortable. I know of a park that is in bloom right now, filling the place with lovely white roses.”

Liz contemplated her options before nodding her head softly. If she was outside she stood a better chance at escape. Rising from the cot slowly she stretched out her exhausted legs and glanced down at her appearance and frowned. “My name is Liz, Liz Parker. I think the walk in the park would be perfect but do not expect me to tell you everything. You work for Kivar and I cannot trust you.”

Noting the determined look in the woman’s eyes Zol chuckled a moment. “Very well Liz Parker let us go for that walk. Perhaps we can talk about our worlds.” With that said he grabbed her by the arm gently and led her from her room and out of the palace.


	5. Chapter 5

_“Also, I brought this with me, I don’t think it has any relevance to the rest of you, but it might help cheer Max up some.” Placing the journal on the table, Maria hid the suitcase full of clothes in the closet before taking a seat on the floor as she waited to hear what their next step was…_

Soft leather thudded against the table as the journal got thrown down. Inside its slightly worn cover held secrets that no one was supposed to know. The truths behind many of the lies that Liz weaved were just waiting to discover. It was the forbidden fruit, the holy grail, whatever you wanted to call it no one but Liz was to know what secrets it held.

Max sat stoically as he kept his gaze trained on the very object that would allow him to see deeper into the soul of his beloved. He could feel his heart and his brain warring with each other. His head was telling him to open it, to see if there might be some clue to help bring Liz home faster, while his heart was yelling at him to respect her privacy still. He was afraid of what he would find in there, always remembering when he had asked to read it. Reaching out with a shaky hand, he quickly snatched it off the table, holding it close to his chest as if he was able to hug Liz in some way because of it.

Isabel was furious as she looked at Maria with hard eyes. It was hard for her to fathom that anyone would be dumb enough to try to take the journal. “How could you? That journal contains all of her secrets and feelings. You had no right to take it!”

“Isabel relax. You know as well as I do that Liz never goes anywhere for any length of time without that journal. If she were to be away like Maria had said truly, she would have taken it. We can’t risk that her parents would find it.” Michael sputtered trying to defend Maria.

“I am sorry, Maria,” Isabel said softly. “I just would hate to know that in a time of crisis, my deepest darkest secrets were made known to my friends, especially when I was not ready to share them.”

“The only person that needs to know what is in there is Max. I would be highly shocked if any of you read.” Maria said with irritation in her voice. “Now, why don’t we all try to come up with ideas? There has to be something, even small, that might help.”

Max remained still; the journal clutched to his chest as he allowed tears to fall. His heart was grieving for the love he lost, small whimpers escaping him now and again. Suddenly without speaking, Max stood to his full height, grabbed the bag of clothes that Isabel had brought, and headed for the shower. He needed time alone to process everything.

The others looked on concerned as they watched their leader fall apart. No one knew what to do to comfort him, and empty platitudes would only piss him off, so they simply watched as he walked out of the room.

~~  
Max ambled towards the bathroom, desperately wanting to take a shower and rid himself of Tess. Pushing the door open, Max slowly entered the room and used his powers to lock the door. Setting his suitcase down on the commode and setting Liz’s journal on top of it, he let out a sigh. Turning on the water to the shower, he let it heat up slowly as the room filled softly with steam.

Raising his head, Max stared long and hard in the mirror. Hollow eyes looked back at him from pale skin, shocking him for a moment. He had to keep it together for her sake, for all of them. He stood there staring at his reflection until it became blurry from the condensation on the mirror.

Reaching for the hem of his shirt, he slowly pulled the offending material up and over his head. The strong muscles in his back and arms rippled as he tossed the shirt to the floor. Slowly he unfastened the snap on his jeans and lowered the zipper feeling the material loosen around his waist. Pushing the denim down and off his legs, Max stood in a pair of blue-striped boxers. With shaky hands, he slowly removed the last of his clothes and stepped under the hot spray of water.

Closing his eyes, Max stood still as the water cascaded down his well-muscled body. He could feel the path every drop took on its way down, and it made him shudder. Never before had he been so in tune with everything around him, and it shocked him. He could feel every molecule inside the water, focusing for a moment he changed the drops into cubes and then changing them back.

Reaching out, Max grabbed the bar of soap, rubbing it in his hands until it formed a rich, luxuriant lather. Running his hands up and down his chest, Max sighed in bliss as he soaped himself. Scrubbing as hard as he could, Max tried to get rid of any trace of Tess on his skin. The man washed and scrubbed until he started to turn his skin pink from the pressure. His eyes closed and tears were falling again until he heard a voice in his head.

_**“Max, I love you. Please stop trying to punish yourself over this. I know you were never with Tess, and I will return my love, but you have to stay strong.”** _

Snapping his eyes open, Max shook his head a moment wondering if it had only been his imagination. Images of Liz suddenly started to fill his mind. He could see her in a dark room, crying as she felt fear. He could see someone come into the room and speak to her though he could not hear what was said. Shaking a moment, Max rinsed off the soap and turned off the water slowly. He had not been trying to open his connection to Liz, unsure if it would work with her so far away.

Stepping out of the shower, Max tied a towel around his waist for a moment as he used his powers to dry himself off. Max can feel his whole body shaking from breaking the connection with Liz, but he can’t seem to make it stop. Slowly he pulled on a pair of black silk boxer shorts with black jeans over them. Throwing on a white tank, Max does not even bother to put on a real shirt. Grabbing his suitcase and Liz’s journal, he makes his way back into the Living Room. “We cannot all stay here, Michael, there is not enough room.”

~~  
Everyone watched as Max stood up and left the room. No one was going to bother to say anything, realizing it was futile. Max needed his space and chance to grieve in his way.

Isabel sat and watched her brother take off towards the shower, sighing as her thoughts drifted to Alex. “We have lost so much because of her. Not only do we need to find a way to bring Liz back, but we need to find a way to wake Alex from his coma.” She loved Alex dearly and wanted him with them.

Jim watched with sadness at the way each of these young people was handling the situation. Kyle had filled him in on what happened when he had come home for some clothes. “If Tess was the one that put Alex in a coma, is it possible that she had also been preventing Max from healing him? We don’t know the extent of her powers, so it might possible that she used them to dilute Max’s. Perhaps now that she is gone, we can try once again to wake him up.” Sighing a moment, he pressed on, “I think we are going to need Alex’s help to bring Liz back. He was the one that translated the book; perhaps he can also tell you what else he learned.”

All eyes snapped over to Jim as they took in what he said. “I think you might be right about that, Sheriff. Can we ask that of Max so soon after losing Liz? I don’t want to push my brother any more than we have, too but I would like Alex here by my side again.”

Michael watched each member of his family as they contemplated what they heard. “I agree we should ask Max if he would be willing to try to heal Alex again. Also, I think we should try to activate the orbs again. If Tess was truly blocking Max healing Alex, then I have this nagging feeling that the hologram we saw was a mind warp as well.”

Maria was lost for words as silent tears fell. She had lost so much in such a short time, but she was determined to be healthy. Liz would want her to be reliable, to help hold Max and the others together. “It’s settled then, I guess. We will ask Max to try to heal Alex again because we need him.”

Kyle had sat back and listened as the others talked amongst themselves. Suddenly, an idea struck him. “Guys, I hate to point out the obvious, but we all cannot stay at Micheal’s apartment. There just isn’t enough room.” He was interrupted by Max’s voice ringing out the same phrase.

~~  
Everyone turned to stare at Max, schooling their expressions in hopes it would not push him too far into his grief. Jim stood slowly and approached the young man before pulling him into a hug. “I am so sorry to hear about what happened with Liz. I will do what I can to help in any way. We were just talking about it, and I think I might know of a place where you can go. My family owns a cabin on the outskirts of town. It's large enough for 12 people to stay comfortably, Kyle and I only use it when we want to go on a fishing retreat, but I think it would work better for this purpose.” Handing Max the keys and a piece of paper with the directions, he stepped back.

Max was stunned at the generosity Jim was extending towards them. “Thank you, Sheriff. It will work well for us, and it is secluded enough we won’t have trouble practicing our powers.”

Isabel was the next to speak, standing slowly she approached her brother. “Max, we have a small favor to ask you. We were thinking that perhaps it was Tess who was preventing you from being able to heal Alex and well…” she trailed off afraid to finish.

“You want me to try again? Of course, I will Izzy, Alex is a part of this team, and we need him.” Max pulled his sister close and hugged her before turning to the others. “Michael, Iz, and I will go to the hospital and try to bring Alex out of his coma. I need you to scout out this place that Jim was telling us. Kyle, please go with him and make a list of the food and supplies we will need to stock the house. Maria, I need you and the Sheriff to come up with excuses as to why all of us are going to be gone. Sheriff, you will need to talk to our parents and let them know what Maria decides. We all will meet back here at..” Glancing at his watch and realizing it was 11 am, “3 pm.”

Everyone nodded as they headed off for their tasks. It was going to be hard being short the jeep until he remembered that he hadn’t destroyed it. He had hidden the real vehicle and they had blown up different one.

Pulling Isabel along with him, they walked to where Max hid the jeep. Using his powers, he uncovered the vehicle from its disguise and climbed in driving off towards the hospital. Kyle and Michael climbed into the Mustang and headed out towards the cabin, while Maria and Jim started working on ideas that would make a good cover.


	6. Chapter 6

Tess had spent the better part of an hour pampering herself once again. She had bathed in one of the biggest tubs ever to exist using the apple and citrus oils to make her skin soft and sweet-smelling. After she had indulged herself in the bath, she had dressed in her favorite red dress. The dress was held up by thin straps that crossed behind her neck as a halter. The plunging neckline held little to the imagination as she padded her bra, just a smidgen to increase the effect. It fit skin tight until just about the hips where it flared out some to mid-thigh. Finishing her adjustments, Tess spun around twice in the mirror, giggling in joy.

She remembered what it was like to be Ava, what her life had been like on Antar before she met her demise. Some parts were still a bit fuzzy, but she would get the answers she sought. A small part of her brain was nagging her about why she was willingly allowing herself to be around Kivar. He was the one that murdered her after all, even after she betrayed Zan and framed Vilondra. Something did not add up; her first clue had been the way Kivar had reacted to Liz. If he was indeed that terrified of the girl, why not just kill her? She would find some time to dig through the annals, in hopes that it would bring her some answers.

Stopping spinning, Tess kept her smile on her face as she left her room for a walk. She wanted to explore the place that would be her new home, wanting to memorize all of the newest parts. As she walked past the room where Liz had was staying she noticed that the door was open, peeking inside. She glared that the girl was nowhere in sight. Pushing aside her anger. Tess continued on her journey out of the palace and down towards the gardens. As she approached the gardens, she heard soft voices, intrigued, she pressed forward getting close enough to understand without being seen what she heard shocked her to the core and made her angry at the same time.

~~  
Liz had allowed Zol to escort her out of the palace by her arm, jerking it free when they reached the last step. “I don’t have to be manhandled. I am quite capable of walking on my own, you know.”

“I know that, but if you would bother to look around, you would realize that you are an alien among aliens. You are safer if I drag you than if you try to walk on your own. Now follow me, the garden is this way.” laughed Zol with a hint of amusement in his voice.

Begrudgingly Liz followed, afraid to speak more than she already had. Looking around her, she realized that even though she looked slightly different than the others, she did not feel entirely out of place. All of the buildings seemed remarkably human, the trees and flowers the same as well. The only difference was the people, a surprising number of them blond, very few brunettes. While they seemed mostly human, they seemed to have elongated necks making them slightly resemble giraffes; a soft blue glow seemed to surround the men, while a white-gold light surrounded the women.

Zol and Liz walked for a few minutes before the gate to the garden came into view. The stark black wrought-iron fence surrounded trees and flowers for what seemed to be miles. Staring at the strange V formation on the gate, Liz took a moment to realize where she had seen it before. Smiling softly, she spoke, “The V-Formation, the royal Antarian Seal. Is this the royal family garden?”

Slightly impressed with her knowledge of the seal, Zol nodded before taping each planet in order ending with the one that represented Antar. With a loud clanking, the gate swung open, and Liz and Zol entered walking down the winding path. He led her to the rose garden, where he used his powers to conjure up a blanket for them to sit on. “Why don’t we start first by answering some of the questions you have, Liz? I know that in due time we will get to know each other, but until then, I will try to answer your questions.”

Sitting down on the blanket, Liz cast her gaze over to the white roses. “Why does everything around here look so human? The only thing that looks alien to me is the people. What did Kivar mean when he said that I was supposed to be dead?” Fear was fighting to make itself known on the surface, but Liz would not give this stranger the satisfaction of seeing her tears.

“While as a race, humans are considered inferior, some of their ideas have adapted into our culture. If you think about it, by us adopting parts of the earth such as their buildings or city parks were are in a way honoring that civilization are we not?” a small chuckled escape with the words. “As far as why Kivar thinks you are dead. Well, that is a story that is going to take some time to discuss. As long as you are willing to listen, I will share that story with you.”

Smirking slightly Liz rolled her eyes at the overly dramatic way Zol was acting. “Where else am I going to go? I don’t know my way around and I doubt that anyone would help me. Besides if I ran into Tess, or should I call her Ave here, she would probably kill me.”

Black eyes met brown as Zol thought over his words carefully. “The reason Kivar believes you are dead is that you are the identical image of Lyssaria. I would imagine that you have a fondness for science and white roses just like she did. Like yourself, she was part human, part Antarian. Back then it was frowned upon, considered unacceptable not to be pure.

Lyssaria was the younger half-sister of Rath, King Zan’s second in command. Growing up, the four of them, Lyssaria, Zan, Rath, and Vilondra, were inseparable. They always played together, but most importantly they always protected each other. As they were growing up, everyone just assumed that Lyssaria was full Antarian just like they were, so they never asked the question. As the children started to get older and mature,d it became apparent that they had feelings for one another. Zan loved Lyssaria with all his heart, as did Rath but more in a sisterly way.

Rath’s father, General Zyton, had managed to fool everyone until almost the very end. See he knew that Zan and Lyssaria had feelings for each other and that the King planned to have Lyssaria marry him and be crowned Queen but Zyton would not allow it. He hated his daughter, feeling like she was a stain on the royal line, and so upon his deathbed, mere days after the announcement that King Zan was getting married, he told his secret.

Everyone was shocked at. First, Lyssaria the most because she had powers you see, just like any Antarian would have. She had never known that she was different, but her life changed so rapidly that she would never get the time to think about it. As soon as it was found out, Zan’s parents broke off the engagement and entered negotiations for his wedding to Ava. Zan, Rath, and Vilondra became forbidden from speaking to her as more than a servant, and though they refused, things became difficult for Lyssaria.

She was demoted to servant status just like the other humans here. Her job was to serve Ava, help her transition from her world to this one. Through it, all, Lyssaria never lost who she was. She was still the same smart, beautiful woman she had always been. What many did not know was that she was clairvoyant. She would get flashes, images of things to come. She was the one that warned of the attack on the palace by Kivar but before she could let them know who the traitor was she was murdered by Ava.

After the bodies of the royal four were discovered, Ava included, we were able to extract DNA from them and mix it with humans to make the clones who we sent to earth for safekeeping. We wanted to do the same to Lyssaria but when we found her there was not enough left. Ava had stabbed her, but Kivar had tortured her until she died, then cut her body up into pieces. He knew that Lyssaria was the key to Zan recovering the throne and he wanted to make sure that there was no way she could be brought back.

So you see, that is why he is surprised that you look just like her. Both Lyssaria and her human mother were murdered but we suspect that there may have been another child, or that someone secretly was able to clone her. I can tell though that by looking at you, you are her. You believed you were human correct?”

Liz sat in utter silence as she absorbed the words that Zol had spoken. Was she a hybrid all along? She had no powers so that could not be right. “Of course I was human. I have the birth certificate and records to prove it.” She proceeded to explain to Zol about her parents and the events that led to her being shot and how Max had healed her. She also spoke about the arrival of Tess to their group and everything that they had gone through.

“Ava was right; when Max healed you he changed you. Though if I am right, your alien side had been laying dormant since you escaped your pod so early. We had lost all hope that there were any survivors of the crash until I got a message in 1983. One of the protectors, I believe he goes by Kal, was in Roswell looking over the pods that had been placed there when he discovered a fifth pod set away from the others in a hidden room. He would never have found it had it not been for the sound of a baby crying. He sent us word that he had taken the baby to the nearest hospital, where he discovered a family that had just lost their baby girl. He managed to switch the children before the doctors became any wiser, disguising you as the daughter for that family and their real child as the dead, abandoned baby.

You see, I was the one in charge of the project that would allow our king and his family to return to us one day. So when I got word about a fifth alien child, I kept it all extremely secret and did some snooping around of my own. It seems that Zan’s mother, at the last minute, decided that Lyssaria should be with her son. All human subjects are required to give a blood sample in preparation for cloning. We had originally planned to clone the humans so that there would be enough workers, but when the war came, we had to change our plans. So Lyssaria was cloned and hidden on the ship with the others. One of the protectors must have found your pod and hidden it away.”

Liz stood up from her spot and started to pace back and forth across the grass. Things in her life had just become so much more complicated. Closing her eyes, she focused her thoughts on Max, surprised at how quickly their connection opened. She could feel his pain, anguish, and fear, so she spoke out loud to him. **“Max, I love you. Please stop trying to punish yourself over this. I know you were never with Tess, and I will return my love, but you have to stay strong.”**

Zol was not the least bit surprised to hear Liz talk out loud to Max. Lyssaria and Zan used to do it all the time, this was just more proof she was who he thought her to be.

Turning her head back to the other occupant of the garden Liz sat down biting her lip softly. She once again started talking speaking about how she couldn’t possibly be this Lyssaria person because of Tess and the whole destiny message.

Zol stopped her rambling to speak again. “Liz, there are things about Ava, Tess, that you must understand. She is different from any of us, she was the first successful cloning/hybridization experiment. Ava was never really born. When Kivar was young he made it his life’s work to overthrow the ruling family of Antar. His people, the Skins, had always been a warring nation, always seeking to rule by force and pain. He knew that he would need to get someone on the inside to help him, someone the king would trust.

At first he started to try to seduce Vilondra and it worked for a while, that is until she became resistant to his powers. In anger he had some of the scientists here clone himself but change the genetic make-up from male to female. He hoped that if he could engineer the perfect woman, part seductress, part lover that he might be able to get an ally into the palace. The problem was that he succeeded but he also altered Ava’s ability to make the right choices. He has forever been able to influence the way she thinks and acts. From the very beginning, she was programmed to only love Zan and to betray them all. I doubt she even knows this much, I only know because I had a chance to access the data that Kivar so wanted to keep hidden. In the end Ava or Tess, has a choice who she wants to be. If she kills Zan again her fate will be sealed but if she can realize that there is someone out there that loves her and chooses to change, maybe she can change the way her life is.”

Shock registered in Liz’s brain as she tried to absorb all of this information. Everything seemed to click in place now, this was why she was so persistent about destiny, about her and Max belonging together. “I know that deep inside I can forgive her for everything she has done. Being programmed that way does not excuse her actions but it makes them easier to forgive.” Standing, Liz started walking out of the garden as Zol followed. She had had enough of this place.

~~  
Tess was shocked beyond words at what she heard. _Is it really true? Did he create me to be his pawn in this game?_ she thought. Tess knew she would get the answers she sought, perhaps a visit to Zol and then a trip to the records that he spoke of.

As she walked away from the garden, Tess thought about her life in Roswell. Even though she tried to force the issue of her and Max, she could not deny the attraction she felt for Kyle. He seemed to care for her simply because she was Tess, not caring that she was alien. All of this warranted more attention and time, but for now, she was hungry and wanted to eat. The last words she heard from Liz stopped her for a moment as she remembered what Lyssaria had told her.

_She had just stabbed the only girl that ever posed a threat to the crown yet the girl did not hold hate in her eyes._

__

“It’s ok Ava. I forgive you for this. If you just knew what I know about Kivar and what he has done to you.”

__

“You don’t know anything! Just shut up and die!”

__

_Lyssaria smiled as she spoke a final time before passing out, “I forgive you, Ava, in this lifetime and an all the others.”_

Shaking her head she wiped away the small tear before locking her emotions back in the box she kept them in. Standing tall she walked away from the garden and into the city in search for food.


	7. Chapter 7

_Pulling Isabel along with him, they walked to where Max hid the jeep. Using his powers, he uncovered the vehicle from its disguise and climbed in driving off towards the hospital. Kyle and Michael climbed into the Mustang and headed out towards the cabin, while Maria and Jim started working on ideas that would make good cover._

As the jeep flew down the street towards the hospital, Max felt himself getting nervous. His fears of being inadequate were once again surfacing. He only prayed that for Alex’s sake, it had been Tess preventing them from healing him entirely and not his inability to control his powers. Casting a glance at his sister, he realized just how nervous she was as well. “Iz, there is something I want to talk to you about. I think I was able to connect to Liz earlier while I was in the shower. I don’t know how, but I heard her in my mind, and I know it was not my imagination. It feels like my alien side is getting stronger, merging with my human side. It sounds crazy, I know.”

Isabel sat quietly in the jeep as she listened to Max. Her heart went out to him as he tried to grasp onto anything that would bring him comfort. She was not about to break his happy bubble for anything. “Maybe something has awakened inside of you? You know to put you in touch with the side of us that makes us alien? If you really can communicate with her, perhaps she can tell us how to help get her home?” Isabel mused as she placed a comforting hand on Max’s shoulder.

“I know you probably don’t believe me, Iz. The connection that I share with Liz is so different than anything I have ever felt.” Max looked contemplative for a moment as he pulled into a parking space at Roswell Memorial Hospital. He could feel fear, sadness, and anger coming through his connection, knowing they had to be from Liz. He tried to send calming emotions to her, hoping it would allow her to relax and him to focus. “Izzy, I can feel her even now. She feels so scared and surprised, I just wish I knew what was going on.”

Grabbing her brother's hand, Isabel walked them from the jeep to the hospital. “Let’s focus on Alex right now, Max and tonight I will see if I can reach Liz for you, ok?”

“Sure, you guard the door for me Is, while I work my magic.” He said with a light laugh.

As they approached the room, they were stopped by a nurse who forced them to fill out a visitor’s log. Looking at each other for a moment, they signed their names as ‘Rob Roy and Brandy Alexander’ before handing the record back to the nurse. Smirking slightly at each other, they both headed off towards Alex’s room. Isabel opened the door and let them both in before locking the door with her powers. Pulling the blinds closed to keep people from viewing inside the room, Isabel then walked over to Alex and took his left hand in hers.

Max took his position on the right of Alex, placing on hand on Alex’s chest as he took a deep breath. He needed to focus right now on healing Alex and letting everything else fall away. Breathing deeply, he allowed his powers to flow into Alex and repair the damage. There was something different this time, almost like the barrier that had prevented him before was gone. He could feel the injuries being reversed and smiled when he saw Alex’s eyes open. Pulling away he stared at his friend for a moment before looking over at Isabel.

Alex had felt himself being pulled from the darkness after what seemed like forever. The night kept him scared, afraid, but the warmth and light that invaded his consciousness were comforting. He didn’t fight it as he allowed himself to open his eyes, a small smile playing over him as he saw Isabel and Max standing there. “That’s some good Alien mojo there, Max,” he rasped out slowly.

Isabel let out a small squeal as she hugged Alex’s neck and placed a kiss on his cheek. “We have a lot to talk about, but we need to get you out of here first. Max and I are going to go, pretend to get the doctor to tell us how you are, and try to get them in here to see you.” She said as she waved her hand to remove the silver handprint from sight. “We need to get you out of here soon.”

Max nodded at Isabel as they both snuck out of the room and out of the hospital. Changing their appearances, they pretended to be cousins and came back into the door. Walking over to the nurse’s station, Isabel, who now had short spiky red hair spoke first, “Yo, can you tell me how my cuz is doin’ ?” Inside her head, she was laughing hysterically at the way the nurses were reacting to her.

Annabeth, the nurse, forced to work the station, glared at the young woman who was speaking. Shaking her head, she sighed in frustration as she thought They will let anyone in here these days, won’t they? Putting on a sugary sweet falsetto tone, she spoke, “Well if you can be a dear and tell me who your cousin is I would be happy to find out for you”

It was Max’s turn to speak now, his hair falling down his back in a long blond ponytail, ” ‘s no reason to talk to us like that. We’s just here to check on our old cuz Alex Whitman. Wanna see how he’s doin’ ‘s all ” Why Isabel had decided to act like this was beyond him, but he was finding it hard not to laugh.

Annabeth looked over at the young man and woman with indignation on her face. “Let me see if I can get one of the doctors to tell me anything. Who should I tell him is asking?”

Isabel snorted a moment, looking perturbed, “Yo, My name’s Brandy Alexander, and this here is my bro Rob Roy. We jus' wanna know what's up with our cuz. Now chop, chop.” She said in her best ice princess tone. They were both being loud and obnoxious in hopes it would get someone to assist them.

Annabeth glared at them both before flouncing away from the desk to find the doctor. Doctor Stuart was only happy to go check on Alex and was shocked to see he was awake and talking. “Can I go home yet, doc? I have been in here for an awfully long time. I just wanna go home.”

Doctor Stuart smiled at Alex a moment before leaving the room. Walking over to the two teens, he motioned for them to follow him. “Mr. Whitman, you have a couple of guests, a Ms. Brandy Alexander and a Mr. Rob Roy. It is good to see that your family is here to support you. I need to have a few tests run, but once I get the results back, you are free to go.”

Isabel, Alex, and Max waited for the doctor to leave before bursting out into peels of laughter. “I so knew those cover id’s Michael gave us in Vegas would come in handy. No one will suspect a thing.” Max spoke softly as he moved to stand next to Alex’s bed. “I am sorry to say that your parents will not be coming to see you anytime soon. They moved out of Roswell a couple of months after you went into a coma. Michael has a few of your things at his house, your house is still there if you want to live in it.”

Isabel leaned over and kissed Alex’s cheek as he wrapped his arms around her waist. “It’s good to see you again, Izzy. I was so scared, I could feel Max trying to heal me all that time ago, but something was stopping it, but today that thing was gone.”

His conversation was interrupted when the doctor returned with two nurses who did some blood work and took him off for a scan. Alex was only gone twenty minutes before he was returned to his room and to his friends. “Where is everyone else?”

“They can’t come, we will explain later, but right now we need to get you out of here and fast. Did the doctor say how long it would be for the test results?” Isabel asked.

Just as Isabel finished her question, the doctor came in with a shocked look in his face. “Well, Mr. Whitman, it appears that you are fine. There is no residual damage, and as far as we can tell, no reason to keep you here any longer. I will have a nurse draw up your release papers; it shouldn’t take more than ten minutes, but I want to leave you with a prescription for some medication. You may experience some headaches after being in a coma for as long as you were, but the medication should help. Are your cousins going to be around to take you home?”

Alex smiled as he looked at Doctor Stuart, “Yeah. As soon as I am free to go, they are gonna take me for some food. I am starving.”

His reaction had them all chuckling softly as they waited for the doctor to leave again. “So who’s idea was it for the disguises? Pretty original but still funny as heck.”

“That would be me,” Isabel said with a beaming smile. “We figured if anyone got suspicious they would never figure it out. The only one outside of our group that knows those names is the sheriff. So it was a safer bet than trying to use our own.”

Alex reached out and took Isabel’s hand in his squeezing it hard. Time seemed to crawl as they waited for the discharge papers to come. As soon as the nurse appeared, he quickly signed the papers and pulled himself from the bed. Before they had left, his parents had managed to bring him a set of pajamas he could use. Standing on shaky legs, he made his way to the bathroom for a moment. “Let me use the bathroom, then I am ready to go. Do you mind swinging by my house for a bit so I can shower and grab a few things?”

Max nodded that it would be fine, and they left Alex for a few moments. When he came out of the bathroom, he was still a bit shaky walking, and Isabel put her arm around him to steady him as they walked him out of the hospital and to the jeep. Climbing in, she sat in the back with Alex as they drove away.

Arriving at Alex’s house, Max used his powers to let them all in. They all headed for Alex’s bedroom, Max sitting in the chair at his desk while Isabel took the bed. Once they knew it was safe, they dropped their disguises. They told Alex everything that had happened after he had been put in a coma and how they were trying to find a way to get Liz back. His heart broke for Max as he watched the pain and guilt flood his friend's face.

“Max stop blaming yourself. You know Liz wouldn’t, and I won’t allow you to wallow in guilt. Tess tricked us all, but we will get Liz back. Let me hop in the shower and change, then I will grab my computer and the files I have hidden even from Tess, and we can head to Micheal’s ok?” Alex looked at Max, waiting to see his reaction.

Nodding his head, Max smiled at Alex. “Take your time. I will run out and grab some food for us to take with to Micheal’s I am sure the others are hungry too.” With that said, he left, returning in, twenty minutes to find Isabel and Alex waiting for him with a bag of Alex’s things and his computer. Piling into the jeep, they made their way back to the apartment that would be their meeting place. It was only 2 pm they still had an hour before the others were due to arrive.

~~  
Michael and Kyle reluctantly climbed into the Mustang and headed out on the highway towards the cabin. It had been many years since Kyle had set foot there, but he knew the way like the back of his hand. The trip took them an hour from Roswell to the deserted desert road that led to the secluded cabin. Michael took note that it seemed hidden enough that they would not get caught if they had to use their powers.

As the car came to a stop just outside the cabin, Michael climbed out while speaking to Kyle. “I am going to do a perimeter search. Why don’t you go inside and check to make sure that the electricity and water work, and when I get inside, we can check the food levels me make lists of what we will need.”

Kyle nodded and headed to the front door, using the key and unlocking it. Flipping the switch just to the right of the door, he was glad to see that the place still had electricity. Making a quick walk around, Kyle took down notes of the rooms that would need light bulbs replaced. Walking into the kitchen, he turned on the faucets, his face frowning when only the cold water came on. They would have to see what had happened to the hot water and so he made a note of that as he waited in the kitchen for Michael.

Michael made a thorough walk around the outside of the house. He took note of several things that could be used as potential cover. Stopping when he saw the small lake out behind the house, he made a note to ask Kyle about it. If the lake had fish, they could use some of them for food instead of having to buy so much. Taking a second trip around, he noticed that someone or something had taken residence in the shed, but he didn’t have much time to think about it now. They would worry about when they came back. Walking back into the house, he took in the floor plan, drawing a quick sketch so they could plot out who got what room. Approaching the kitchen, he looked up to see Kyle waiting. “Let’s get this done and get back to my place.”

Together, they spent the next three hours cataloging the food and making a list of what they would need for their three-month stay. They wanted to have to go into town as little as possible as they figured out what to do, so the guys made sure the house was filled with what they need. Taking their lists with them, both men locked up and drove the hour back to Micheal’s apartment. They arrived at 2:15 and were surprised to see Max, Isabel, and Alex laughing and having a good time without them.

“Hey, this is my house. No parties allowed without me.” Michael said in a laughing tone as he took a seat on the couch next to Alex. “It’s good to see you back with us, Alex. I know Maria will be happy to see you.”

~~  
Maria and Jim had spent a good hour working on a plausible cover story. Jim was going to tell Mr. and Mrs. Evans that Isabel and Max were going to be working at a summer camp in Marathon for three months. It was a camp to help foster and adopted children to adjust to a healthy life. Michael was going to be working there, as well. They also decided to tell The Parkers, that Liz was going to be working at the same camp instead of the one previous. They wanted it to look like these kids were working on getting extra credit.

After coming up with their idea Jim and Maria left for the sheriff station first. He had some forms from the camp they were speaking about, and he made photocopies and had written statements from all the kids that he managed to forge their handwriting. Signing them with the fake name of Zylar Plath, M.D., Ph.D., to make it look official. He would bring the copies with them.

Their first stop was at the Evans’ where the sheriff explained about the camp and how their kids were forced to leave them right away. “With them both being adopted and the way Michael was treated as a foster child, they all thought it would be good to show these young children that people do really care, that things can be better.” He had been able to convince Philip and Diane that this was the best thing their children could do for the summer, so they had accepted it.

The Evans’ were the easiest to convince, next came Jeff and Nancy Parker. They were angry that Liz had not told them, but Maria had explained that it was short notice. “I was told at the same time, and I will be joining them, but my mom wasn’t home when I had to have the paperwork turned in because my aunt was sick. So they are allowing me to get it signed and come in later.”

Nancy regarded her daughter’s best friend for a moment. “Just make sure she sends us a postcard once a month, at least. If we don’t hear from her, we will go pick her up is that clear.”

Maria nodded her head, realizing that they only agreed with it because Maria was going to be there. So she smiled and hugged them both and promised that they would keep in touch.

The last stop was at her house for her to deal with her mother. Amy had not been entirely happy to hear that Maria was going to be away for three whole months, but she was willing to let her daughter go. Her fear turned to exasperation when she learned that Michael was going to be there as well.

“I understand your concerns, Amy, but all of her friends will be there, including my son. I know if anyone would make sure nothing happened, it would be Kyle. I think this is a great way for your daughter to make an impact on someone’s life, and who knows these children might just change all of their lives for the better.” Jim smiled as he watched Amy’s acquiesce.

When all of their covers had been made, and the parents had been given the proper paperwork, Maria packed up the rest of her things, and they snuck back over for more of Liz’s things. She knew that Max and Isabel would need to steal more clothes if they were to be gone three whole months. Once everything was gathered, they headed back to Micheal’s apartment. They were the last to arrive; at 2:30 they came bounding through the door.

Maria stopped in her tracks as she saw Alex, dropping the things she ran and hugged him. She was crying softly at having her other best friend back, now they just needed to bring Liz home.

~~  
“Now that everyone is here, we need to fill Alex in on what’s going and give a status report,” Max spoke with authority in his voice.

Everyone gathered around as they explained the last few months to Alex, who was angry about what Tess had done. Once that had been taken care of, Kyle and Michael discussed what needed to be done about the cabin and food. They divided the task amongst themselves on who was to do what. Maria explained their cover stories and was surprised to see the shock and adoration on everyone’s face about the type of camp they would be helping at.

The teens sat around for the rest of the afternoon looking over the rough map of the house and deciding who was going to stay where. As night time came, they all said their goodnights and curled up in their sleeping bags around the apartment, knowing that tomorrow they would get up before dawn and get the supplies they needed before heading out.


	8. Chapter 8

Tess sauntered down the streets of the city that once saw her like a queen. It was hard remembering so much of her previous life and trying to mix it with what was her reality. The conversation she had just overheard had shattered her illusions about everything Nesado had told her. She could still remember him beating her as he raged.

_“You are worthless, filled with so many human emotions. Why did I have to get stuck with the defective queen? Don’t you know anything? I know you remember what it was like to be Ava to be the queen. You are made for Zan! He was in love with you then, and he will love you now, and you will go back home bearing the heir. I refuse to get stuck on the rock heap for the rest of my life. Now do as you are told and learn to control your powers better, or you are never going to convince Max you belong with him!”_

When they had first arrived in Roswell after getting the signal from Michael, all Tess had wanted to do was confess everything to them. Her fear for Nesado kept her quiet, and she was suffering for it even now. The woman needed time to think, to prove one way or another if what Zol said was true. Her memories of Antar filtered through her head, and she made her way to the royal archives.

It was impossible to keep information hidden since all data discovered was automatically transferred to disks in the archives. Lucky for Tess, only someone with a link to the royal family could enter the library, and she just wanted to be alone to discover the truth.

Approaching the building, Tess placed her hands against the door and pushed slightly. Opening the door was the easy part; the outer chamber was accessible to everyone; it was only the inner chambers that are guarded. Looking around, she tried to focus on the words that she saw carved above each door. Some of the symbols were familiar to her, others not so much. Turning to her right, she took the far right door and placed her hand on it, watching as the seal was released and the door pushed open.

Entering the dark room, she snapped her fingers and lit a myriad of candles making the room glow softly. She had not made it very far into the room when the door shut again and reopened. Spinning, she was surprised at who she saw standing in the doorway now. Her gaze was cautious, afraid of what the other person might do.

~~  
Liz had desperately wanted to leave the garden, to get away from Zol for a while so she could think. She had felt Max through their connection as he tried to send her calming emotions, but it only eased her slightly. She was agitated and scared about everything she had learned.

The scientific part of her brain was arguing that she needed to see the proof of what the man was telling her, but her heart was trying to convince her to take him at his word. She so desperately wanted to cling to the knowledge that everything was going to be ok, that she was simply just a human who had managed to meet the kindest, most loving alien on her planet.

Stopping just outside the gate to the garden, Liz looked back over her shoulder and sighed. “Do you have any sort of place that stores this data? I doubt that anything even as important as this would not be kept. Please I want to see it, I need to see it.”

Zol had been watching Liz as she tried to process everything she had learned. It was tough. There was so much information to absorb, and when she asked to see the proof, he almost had to hide his smile. She was already starting to act like Lyssaria, though he hoped that the people would not notice her before he could get her safely back to earth to be with Zan. “Of course. We have the royal archives. I can take you as far as the entrance lobby, but it is up to you to see if you can get inside. You see, no one but a member of the royal family will be able to activate and release the seal that is holding the door closed.”

Liz paused a moment as she thought about what he was saying. If he had been right and she was indeed Rath’s half-sister and the one that Zan wanted to be queen would the seal recognize her and allow her inside. She knew this would be the first test of trust between herself and Zol. “Let’s go then. I would love to learn about Antar, and it’s past. Do you think that after the archives, you might be able to show me some of the science labs around?”

Zol almost laughed out loud as he shook his head. He would show her anything her heart desired, for she was just like Lyssaria. “Sure, we can do that though you might want to save it for tomorrow. There is quite a bit of information in the archives to go through.” As he spoke, he led her in the direction of the Royal Archives and entered the main lobby.

Liz looked around with huge eyes as she took in everything she was seeing. It looked like pictures of ancient Greek archives, which she found surprising. Creeping into the room, Liz looked around, trying to figure out which room was the one that was needed. Nothing of the language even seemed remotely familiar, so she closed her eyes and tried to think of her next steps.

Zol could see her uncertainty, so he waited for her to shut her eyes and gently turned her in the direction of the room she was seeking. Each of the archives dealt with past rulers of the planet, including Zan. He pushed her gently forwards towards the door housing the disks that would tell her about her true destiny. “Go on, little one. Find the truth behind the lies and find the path that will set you free.”

~~  
Liz walked forward to the door in front of her with a bit of trepidation. There on the door was a silver handprint, slowly Liz raised her hand and pressed against the image. The soft whirring and clicking of the lock was the only indication that the door was opening. Pushing slightly, she saw the door open and walked into a rather large alcove. In the center of the room was an object that looked similar to the granolith surrounded by shelves and shelves of disks.

Her gaze landed on Tess, and for a moment, Liz just stood there. Suddenly something inside of her snapped as all the memories of betrayal came to the surface. Charging, she tackled Tess to the ground and started hitting her. Her hands pulled hair and tried to punch as much flesh as she could reach.

Tess fought back as much as she could with her fists while trying to distract Liz enough to get her powers in. She could understand the anger and hatred coming from the other girl, but as Liz grew more violent towards her, she prayed silently that she would live.

Liz felt herself getting more potent, felt power coursing through her. Risking a glance down at her hands, she saw green lightning surfacing. As she reached out to hit Tess one last time with her power, both girls found themselves thrown away from each across the room.

Both girls stood and approached the now glowing object in the center of the room. Fear and trepidation evident on each of their faces. Both girls knew about the granolith, but they had believed the only version was on earth in the form of the ship that they traveled to Antar. Reaching out, both Tess and Liz placed their hands on the dark onyx crystal.

“Here I have before me the two queens of Antar. Ava, the queen of old. Died and was reborn to carry on the cycle of betrayal and deceit. Lyssaria, the queen of new, died and was reborn to assume her rightful place beside King Zan and to help Ava overcome her past. Both women strong and independent, so alike yet different.” A disembodied voice spoke, sending images into their minds. The granoilith was much more than a ship; it was a sentient being an object of both fear and worship.

The granolith showed both girls their past lives, how Lyssaria had always tried to befriend Ava and help her adjust to life in the palace, how Ava had questioned why her dear brother wanted her to marry the king that he hated so much. After showing them their lives, the images changed to that of the others. Showing the true intentions of Kivar, how Vilondra never betrayed her brother, how Rath truly felt like their family. Small gaps were heard from the girls, as various images floated through their minds. The important photos were to come next, and though it would cause both girls pain, the granolith knew they needed to be seen for the girls to make their choices.

_Kivar stood silent on the cliff edge overlooking the capital city of Antar. His plans had been going well up to and including the creation of Ava. She was the first successful hybrid, but no one would know if he had anything to do about it. He needed someone on the inside, but his skins were too easily recognized as a foreign alien, so he had sought out one of the top scientists on the planet. With the right kind of money, his plan had been successful._

_They had taken his DNA and mixed it with some human slave named Tressa Harding. At first, he had questioned why they chose humans, and the answer had been surprising. “Humans are the only other beings that we have found that possess the ability to learn and master these ‘gifts’ as we call them. While it is true that they only use about ten percent of their brains with the right adaptations and modifications, they could easily have powers like we do, only by tapping into that unused portion. Their bodies are also more stable for our purposes, and unlike the other test subjects have shown the ability to withstand all of our modifications.”_

_He had agreed, and his perfect soldier had arrived. Kivar had given Ava his mind control powers and instructed the woman on their proper use and implementation, or his version anyway. He had lied to the girl from the beginning telling her she was his sister and that their parents died, so he raised her. He taught her his hate and anger at the ruling party of Antar, his desire to take the throne. What he never showed her were his plans once he had the throne. Zan wanted to unite the five planets together to form one alliance; Kivar wished to destroy the other planets, including Antar, so that only his world would be superior._

_She had been easy to get into the palace, merely reminding the current king and queen about the social status of the one their son chose was enough to get the girl thrown out, and Ava considered as a proper candidate. Now here he stood on the eve of her wedding to Zan, making the final preparations for the battle that would change the tide. He had just received her signal and led his army to the palace gates._

_Ava was standing there waiting to let them in when Lyssaria appeared. Both knew what was about to happen, and the younger girl pleads with Ava to turn back that they would keep her safe from Kivar. The battle came quick, and Ava had stabbed Lyssaria, but it wasn’t enough to do any damage; it had been merely for impression. She had fled soon after to try to warn the others of the impending attack. The real Ava had realized that she cared deeply for this family and wanted no harm._

_Kivar had been angered and found Lyssaria still alive, his rage and anger growing. Grabbing the girl by her hair, he shoved her into one of the side rooms that were empty. The small storehouse was almost empty, all of its contents were used at the feast prior. Lyssaria fell to her knees as her wound jarred from the force of Kivar’s assault._

_Steadily he approached her using his powers to send her flying into the back wall, smiling at the sickening crunch her head made contact with the wall. Shaking her head, Lyssaria tried to stand, but her powers alone were no match for Kivar. He knew only she would be able to tell him where the granoilith was, for she was its keeper even though she was human, and with it, he would be able to destroy Zan for good._

_Using his powers, he continued to send her flying into various walls listening as she whimpered in pain from the assault. She refused to say anything even as she became bloodier. When Kivar realized that this method was not going to work, he changed his tactics. Creating metal bindings, he bound her to the wall as he approached. Smiling softly, he ran his hand across her face and down her neck, squeezing hard as he felt her struggle to breathe. Out of his back pocket, he withdrew a special blade he had made for just this occasion. Holding onto Lyssaria, Kivar tried to invade her mind, but she continued to block him. As his patience grew thin and the time to strike closer, he gave up trying to get the granolith’s location from the girl._

_With a sick, sadistic smirk, Kivar brought the blade down against the girl's skin. As he started cutting, he removed his hand from her throat so he could hear her screams. Slowly he began to chop her body into pieces one limb at a time. Lyssaria died screaming, still refusing to give up the location of the sacred artifact to their enemy or to reveal the ultimate plans of Zan. With his task over, Kivar used his powers to spread Lyssaria’s body parts throughout the palace in places Zan would see before going off and finding his next target._

_He had been able to dispatch each of them efficiently, they were all alone except for Zan. Rath had died trying to save Zan, and Ava had died trying to save Rath._

The images stopped there, and both girls staggered back a bit. Liz was beyond words, fear, and grief swamping through her as she watched herself murdered at the hands of the same person who was still in power now. She had seen the goodness in Ava at the very end and cast her gaze over towards Tess.

Tess had tears in her eyes as she watched what happened to her only friend. These images had shown them the parts of their lives that were missing. Deciding within herself that history would not repeat itself, she reached over and pulled Liz into a hug.

“Both of you stand before me now to make your choice. Is history going to repeat itself or has our planet and its people finally found peace. The lives of the millions of people here and back on earth are counting on you.

Ava, you are the queen of old; if you go down the current path, you will die before your time, but if you choose to change, you will be giving up your throne to Lyssaria. You will be setting things to the way they should have been.

Lyssaria, you are the queen of new, the one who has always had the heart and soul of the king. Your forgiveness of Ava all those years ago is what is allowing things the chance to change. You are needed elsewhere, my dear, but your time here is not up. There are still things that needed done before I can return you home.” The disembodied voice spoke again for the last time. “If you are ready to make your choice step forward and place your hands against me and state your intentions.”

Liz withdrew from Tess’s grasp and walked towards the onyx stone, placing both hands against the smooth surface. “I, Elizabeth Parker, in this life, Lyssaria in the past, so choose to honor and support, Max Evans in this life, King Zan in the past, in all of his endeavors with love, honor, loyalty, and respect.”

Tess took a moment to gather her emotions. Everything that had been told to her was a lie; everything she had believed in fabricated to assist a madman bent on world domination. Walking forward, she placed shaky hands on the granolith and spoke. “I, Tess Harding in this life, Ava in the past, so choose to honor and support, Max Evans in this life, King Zan of Antar in the past, in all of his endeavors with love, honor, loyalty, and respect. I do choose to break the cycle cast upon my people, starting with Lyssaria and working our way towards Kivar. I so choose to aid in the destruction of the man that has enslaved our people for the past fifty years and who continues to try to kill us still.”

Both girls stepped back as the granolith shook with power, sending out a blue pulse of energy into each of them. “The cycle of violence is not yet broken but is now weaker than before. Ava has given up her throne to the true queen, and now together, they must find a way to return to the royals and come back to save our planet.”

With this last bit of knowledge recorded, the shard of the granolith that stood in front of them disappeared, its actual location still hidden until the right time. Both girls looked at each other a moment.

“I don’t know how to say I am sorry. A killer raised me, someone who told me that things were a certain way. It took all of this for the truth to come out, and now I have betrayed you all again.” Tess looked at Liz as she spoke, tears falling from her eyes.

Liz pulled her former enemy into a hug. “Tess. What’s important is right now. That was the past; this is the present. Let’s try to figure out what else we still have to do and how to get back. They need us. Kyle needs you, and we are going back.”

Both girls stood in the room merely hugging each other for a few minutes. When they broke apart, they both headed for the door. They were going to go back to the palace for now and try to find some time to get together tomorrow.

 **“Can you hear me? I am going to send some clothes for your room, so you don’t have to wear the same thing. I will knock three times then leave the items outside. We have to meet in secret until we can get a plan together.”** Tess thought as they walked back separately to the palace. As Ava, she had been able to communicate with Lyssaria through telepathy and hoped that if the green lightning was any sign that Liz had gained her powers.

Liz heard the other girl in her head but was too scared to respond. She was still in a bit of shock and just wanted to curl up in her bed and dream about Max. Entering the palace, first, Liz made her way back to her room without any interruptions. Kivar was treating her somewhat ok, at least until he could figure out who she was. She entered her room and sighed, leaning back against the door. Things had gone rather strange today, too much information loaded into her brain. She could feel a headache come on as she heard the distinct sound of three rapid knocks. Opening her door, she pulled the box in, choosing to go through it tomorrow as she flopped down on her bed and slid asleep.

Tess delivered a box of clothes and a few of the soaps from her room to Liz. She, too was exhausted and chose to head to sleep. It was hard to tell what time it was; she was still so used to understanding the human way but figured it wouldn’t be long before she adjusted to this new way of life. Climbing up in her bed without bothering to change her clothes, Tess drifted off to sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

_The teens sat around for the rest of the afternoon looking over the rough map of the house and deciding who was going to stay where. As night time came, they all said their goodnights and curled up in their sleeping bags around the apartment, knowing tomorrow they would get up before dawn and get the supplies they needed before heading out._

Soft snoring echoed off the walls in Micheal’s apartment as all but two people slept peacefully. Max had tried to close his eyes, but every time he would see images of Liz, remember things about her that made him want to scream out in anguish. Fighting the urge to scream, Max simply climbed out of his sleeping bag and headed outside on the patio. He had kept Liz’s journal near and decided that now was as good a time as any to start reading. Walking out, Max took the blanket with him as he settled into one of the wicker chairs that sat haphazardly on the patio. Opening the leather-bound journal, Max started reading from the beginning. With every word read, he fell more in love with Liz.

Michael watched Max leave the house and head outside with a bit of fear. They all needed their sleep so that they could prepare for whatever was to happen. His eyes held a bit of sadness as he watched his brother walk outside to the dark. He could just make out the shape of the journal as he held his breath. Since he had stolen it that day, Michael had understood what Liz put into words. Deciding he would face his friend's wrath, Michael pulled the last two Snapple out of the fridge and headed outside. “Here. Take this Snapple”

The sound of Michael’s voice snapped Max out of his daze. Looking up, from his reading, small tears forming in his eyes, Max took the proffered Snapple. Pushing the journal to Michael, he looked down. “Read the page I have open.”

Pulling the book close, Michael read the passage that Max had opened and almost dropped his drink. Liz had written about her encounter with Future Max and everything she had learned. She bared her soul about being responsible for the deaths of future versions of them all because she was selfish and wouldn’t give up Max. When he had finished reading, Michael handed the journal back. Whoever it was that had visited Liz could not have known her, or they would not have made her feel like she was selfish. “She loves us all, Max. You have chosen well, my king, Zan, now please come inside and try to get some rest.”

Black eyes gazed at each other as two warriors fought internal battles. Nodding his head Max, smiled softly at Michael. “Your words are kind, Rath. I knew from the beginning that she belonged here with us. Please leave me be I do not wish to sleep, I will rest when we get to our destination tomorrow.” Closing his eyes and taking a breath, amber eyes once again showed up replacing the black. There had been a small flash of white light that surrounded both men before disappearing, leaving them back to there usual selves.

Walking away from Max, Michael headed back inside and to the kitchen counter. Pulling out the drawing that he had made of the cabin, he set about making the room arraignments. Picking up a second pencil, one in red, Michael wrote everyone’s initials into the boxes that represented the bedrooms. He also placed an x on the map for the places that he wanted them to explore. The shed had the most significant x on the map and a feeling of uneasiness as he thought about what might be hiding in the shed. Sighing. Michael left the drawing on the counter and headed back to his room to sleep.

~~  
Five hours later, soft pink rays peaked into the windows rousing the apartment’s inhabitants. Slowly each person started to get up and pack their sleeping bags. Isabel and Maria wanted to take a shower before they headed out but realized that there would not be enough time. Sighing they simply straightened out their clothes and started carrying their things out to the jeep.

The guys gave the apartment one last glance before Michael locked it up. Piling into the three vehicles, Kyle led the way in his Mustang, followed by Michael, Maria, Isabel, and Alex in the Jetta with Max bringing up the rear in the jeep. The trip was uneventful as they traveled an hour before pulling over for gas and breakfast. They ate in silence as they hurried to get back on the road to the cabin.

While the girls made a trip to the bathroom, Michael pulled the guys aside to speak with them. “When we get there, I want us to check out a few places before we settle down officially. I didn’t want to say anything with the girls around because I don’t want to worry them, but I think there might be something living in the shed.” Before anyone could respond the girls were back to the cars and everyone piled in to finish the trip.

~~  
Arriving at the cabin, all six teens took in the view. Maria and Isabel grabbed the hands of each other as they squealed in joy. Stepping up to the plate, Michael took charge once again. “Ok, I have made the sleeping arraignments. Grab your things and follow me. I will show you where you can set them down.” Grabbing his bag, Michael walked into the house without waiting to see if anyone was following. The others followed in close behind, having grabbed their bags as requested.

Stopping in front of the first of the guest rooms, Michael smiled. “Isabel you and Alex will be in here. Kyle gets the room next door to himself. Maria and I will be across the hall from Kyle with Max getting the master. Ladies, we shall leave you to freshen up while us manly men go in search of food and other things.” Smirking at Maria, Michael stared at her a moment before pulling her into a kiss. The sound of someone clearing their throat forced the two apart as Michael pushed her into the room and tossed his bag down.

Gathering in the living room, the guys went over the map that Michael had made trying to decide which was the most crucial part of exploring first.

“I say we check out the shed. It seems to be the biggest space and could pose the most danger.” Alex suggested.

Smiling, Kyle laughed as he realized that each of them was thinking the same thing. Max stood off to the side of the group, lost in thought. He just wanted to curl up in bed and sleep forever. His focus was shot, and he only wanted to drift off into the dream world where Liz was in his arms. Michael saw the look on Max’s face but knew that this was not the time for any of them to be weak. Leading the group out he literally pushed Max in front of him as the men headed out to the shed.

~~  
Approaching the building slowly, Max and Michael took positions in the front while Kyle and Alex took positions just around the corner. Raising their hands, the two alien men blasted the doors open only to be stopped short at the sight they saw. The shed was trashed and dark, light streaming in behind them from the doorway. Instantly green shields surrounded Michael and Max as they saw the white blasts head their way.

Kyle and Alex realized that this was an Alien only situation and chose to stay back until they could enter the battle and not be casualties. Strange sounds filled their ears as they listened to the sounds of scuffling and fighting. Peaking around the corner, Kyle caught Alex’s eye making a hand gesture to stay where he was.

Inside the shed, Max and Michael were trying to help a disoriented Rath and Zan fight of Nicholas and Nasedo. While Rath and Zan were more in touch with their alien side alone, they were no match for their enemies. Energy blasts flew around, hitting various objects but not making any real progress until Max suddenly felt himself shift into a deeper part of his powers. Eyes glazing black-green energy shot out of his hand, hitting Nicholas square in the chest, frying the husk to pieces. Turning to the others, he noticed that Zan, Rath, and Michael seemed to share his black eyes. Each alien held up their hand, focusing the power on Nasedo. As one they all took two steps forward watching as their once protector met a quick and painful death.

As soon as Nasedo’s body fell to the floor, Max felt the energy pool leave him as he stumbled back before collapsing to the ground unconscious. Instantly Michael was at his side, shield in place as he watched Zan and Rath approach.

“Relax gee. We ain’t here to hurt the boy. Come on, we gotta get him inside, so’s we can talk.”

Michael simply nodded at Zan as he picked Max up off the floor, carrying his brother inside. Depositing the body on the bed, Michael shut the door and headed to the living room. He still did not trust the dupes especially since Zan was supposed to be dead along with Rath.


	10. Chapter 10

_Liz heard the other girl in her head but was too scared to respond. She was still in a bit of shock and just wanted to curl up in her bed and dream about Max. She entered the palace first, making her way back to her room without any interruptions. Kivar was treating her somewhat ok, at least until he could figure out who she really was. She entered her room and sighed, leaning back against the door. Things had gone rather strange today, too much information loaded into her brain. She could feel a headache come on as she heard the distinct sound of three rapid knocks. Opening her door, she pulled the box in, choosing to go through it tomorrow as she flopped down on her bed and slid asleep._

_Tess delivered a box of clothes and a few of the soaps from her room to Liz. She, too, was exhausted and chose to head to sleep. It was hard to tell what time it was; she was still so used to telling the human way but figured it wouldn’t be long before she adjusted to this new way of life. Climbing up in her bed without bothering to change her clothes, Tess drifted off to sleep._

Warm sunlight streamed through the windows as Tess roused from her sleep. All throughout her dreams, she pondered over options of what to do. Knowing that her pact with the granolith and Liz would not be broken by anything but death. She also knew it would be harder to plan with Liz if the girl was so far away. Kivar may have tried to claim the throne, but Tess had the real power. Smiling to herself, Tess prepared for the day. When she knew she was entirely ready, she slammed through her door and towards wherever Kivar was.

The halls were empty, and so was the room adjoined to hers, so Tess headed towards the throne room. Sitting sprawled out on the throne with no dignity to how he looked, Kivar was barking orders to the servants. Slamming open the doors to announce her presence, Tess smirked at Kivar as everyone in the room stared in shock at her appearance.

“Kivar, if you would be so kind as to send everyone home, there Is something that we must discuss.”

“You cannot just waltz in here and take over. I am in charge! I am the king.” Kivar growled out.

Smirking slightly, Tess approached with confidence as she leaned into Kivar hissing, “Unless you want me to point out the lovely people that the queens of old and new have returned, I suggest that you treat me with a little more respect. Now I have a proposition for you, are you going to listen or am I going to have to embarrass you?”

Growling in anger, Kivar stood from the throne, trying to intimidate Tess with his size. “Now listen here, Ava. I am in charge, and I make the threats around here, but as you put it, I don’t want the others to know about her return just yet, so I will hear you out.” Turning to his guests, Kivar bowed slightly and spoke. “Excuse us. Ava and I have some things to discuss. I will call you again when the time is right.”

After the guests had left, Kivar turns to Tess and snarls ” There are you happy. They are gone, now what do you want.”

“I wanted to make a deal with you. You know the custom to allow warriors a chance to take the trials. If you recall, Zan challenged you to the trials for the throne the first time, but you chickened out. My deal is this, Liz and I will participate in the trials. If we win, you let us return to earth, and you will not come after us.”

Stroking his chin with his left hand, Kivar thought about the offer that Tess presented. Public execution of the queen would not have the same impact on the citizens as that of the royal court. He needed the king to make an appearance, or he risked losing everything by killing Tess and the interloper too soon. “If you pass, which I doubt you will… I will allow you and the other to return to earth If you lose you will both be mine to do with as I wish. Those are the terms.”

Thinking a moment, Tess nodded her head in agreement. She would need to meet with Liz and prepare. “I agree. If you will excuse me Liz and I need to prepare.”

~~  
The distant sounds of various door slamming shut woke Liz from her dream. Her dreams were getting stranger each moment. She had almost believed she was standing behind Max on the patio to Michael’s apartment as he read from her diary. She could still feel the surge of power flow from her into the parts of both men that were Zan and Rath. It was just like the power that had coursed through her when she touched the granolith. It was surreal, yet she knew it had to be a dream.

Yawning a moment, Liz stretched on the bed as she looked around the room again. Sighing with defeat, she pulled herself from the bed and sorted through the box of clothes that Tess had brought for her. For a girl that always thought hated her, Tess had provided Liz with some rather amazing garments. Digging through the box, a huge smile lit up on her face as she discovered the strawberry body wash and shampoo.

Grabbing up the things she wanted, Liz headed for the shower to prepare for another day. As she reached the bathroom, there was a knock on her door. Groaning in defeat, Liz moved to her the door. With a frown, she opened the door wide prepared to yell at someone when she saw a young woman about the age of twenty standing there.

“Sorry to bother you miss. I have been instructed to help you gather your things to move into Lady Ava’s room.”

Liz smiled at the girl before blushing in embarrassment. She hated that she had almost yelled at the girl. “Oh ok. Just let me put these things back in the box.” Moving back to the bed, Liz tossed her things in the box and picked it up. Walking to the door, she cast one last glance around the room. “This is everything that I need. I apologize for earlier, but this has not been easy for me.”

“It is ok Miss Lyssaria. It is a pleasure to see you again after all this time. Please, I must apologize, follow me.”

Liz followed the young woman towards the room that Tess had been staying it. Hearing her alien name was strange to her ears, her first instinct was to correct the poor woman but she had already offended her.

~~  
As the door opened, Tess smiled at both girls before pulling Liz inside the room. “Thank you Aisha. I appreciate your help. Will you please take this letter to Rena and ask her to make an appearance?”

Curtsying Aisha spoke, “Of course, my lady. I will do that posthaste.” Grabbing the letter, the young girl left in search of her next job.

Liz took a moment to study the room, the box having been dropped on the spare bed. The place was amazing and so much more amazing than she had ever dreamed of. Completely lost in the moment, she failed to notice the look on Tess’s face.

Watching Liz brought a small smile to Tess’s face. “This was your room at the palace before your father sought to have you exiled from the royal line. You shared this room with me after the marriage between Zan and myself was arranged. Ava chose Lyssaria to be her personal maid. While it is true that there was some tension between the two, Ava always felt that if given a chance Lyssaria would try to steal Zan back. I see though that he was never Ava’s nor will he ever be mine.”

Walking towards her bed, Tess threw herself down on top of it, giggling as she almost bounced off onto the floor. Liz let out a small giggle as she watched the other girls antics. It was hard at a time like this to forget who they were and where they were.

“If you will just point me in the direction of the shower. I was interrupted before I could take mine.” Liz spoke softly.

Pointing to the door on the far left side, Tess did not move from her spot. “After your shower, we have some things to discuss. I found us a way home, but it will not be easy. I only ask that you keep your mind open.”

Leaving Tess to do her own thing, Liz quickly took a shower and dressed in a knee-length dress the color of onyx. The dark inky black seemed to suck all of the light from the room, making it impossible not to notice. Stepping into the bedroom, Liz looked a bit sheepish as she realized that she was wearing Ava’s clothes, and they fit her perfectly.

“I knew we were the same size. Don’t feel bad about wearing it. These are as much yours now as mine.” Biting her lip a moment, Tess motioned for Liz to come sit on the bed. When Liz took a seat, Tess grabbed the brush and started to run it through the brown locks of the girl in front of her. “I realize that we may never become close friends. Too much in our past may prevent us from even trusting each other. There are things that neither of us truly know, things that the granolith showed us to be true. Just know this, the pledge I made is one I will keep.”

As Tess was brushing her hair, Liz felt herself relax and get sleepy. She knew that the words were spoken from the heart and commended Tess for expressing them. “You said that you had a plan to get us back home? What did you come up with?”

Running her free hand through the hair to remove the knots as she alternated between brush strokes. “I realize that there is much about our former lives that you don’t remember, so please try to keep an open mind. It is rare to have the heir to the throne challenged for the right to rule. A series of three trials set in place, each testing on different things. The first is the easiest, it's a simple mental challenge, a series of puzzles to solve. The second is a battle of strength, a test of one's powers. The third is the hardest, its a physical battle. The problem is both of us must perform in these challenges, or we don’t go home. I know I should have talked to you first, but it was now or never.”

It took Liz a while to focus on the words that Tess was speaking. She had always found that having her hair brushed as being relaxing. “You did what you thought was best for us at the time. The only thing is, I don’t have much experience with my powers. Together I am sure we can think of something.”

~~  
A firm knock on the door broke the conversation between the two girls as they both called out for the visitor to enter. Opening the doorway a tall, athletic women walked in. Her hair was an unusual shade of blue, and she had several piercings. Rena was wearing a pair of black denim carpenter pants with a chain from the belt loop to the back pocket and a black tank top. The smirk on her face was one to rival any Liz had seen.

“So nice of you to drop by Rena. I see you got my message.”

“That I did, Aves. Lyssaria good to see you again. We don’t have time to waste Ava. You know that you only get one week to prepare for the Trials before you must face them. We have much to do.”

Liz looked between the two women as they spoke. Rena dressed contrary to everything that she had seen so far. “The name is Liz. I don’t remember much of who I used to be. Tess here knows more about that time than I do. Side effect of being born human, I guess. It is nice to meet you Rena.”

Tess laughed softly as she saw her old friend standing before her. “You always had to be the rebel didn’t you Rena. Never one to conform to the rules governing our society.”

“You know it girl. Now, are we going to get started? If you lose you die, and I will not watch you die again.” Turning her attention to Liz, Serena studied the girl for a moment. “You are just as I remember you. Still as beautiful as ever, I bet Zan fell for you all over again. Listen, your highness. I mean no disrespect, there are few like myself, who know the truth about the events that shattered our world fifty years ago. Time moves differently here than it does on earth, but that is another story. We need to get you prepared.”

The conversation for the next several hours focused on the three trials themselves. Liz felt a strange pull towards Rena but did not know why. Deciding amongst the three of them that though they had to work together, Liz would be responsible for the first since she was better at puzzles while Tess would focus on the second. The third may very well be the end of them, but Serena hoped that she would have them trained enough.

“I must say goodnight for now. You both need your rest; we will start fresh with discussions tomorrow morning after breakfast. Sleep well, my dear friends, for tomorrow is a new day.” Serena spoke before leaving.

Both Tess and Liz rubbed their eyes in sleep as they yawned. Forgetting for the moment that they weren’t alone, both girls changed into sleep clothes before crawling into their beds.

“Good night Liz.”

“Good night Tess. See you for breakfast.”


	11. Chapter 11

_Michael simply nodded at Zan as he picked Max up off the floor, carrying his brother inside. Depositing the body on the bed, Michael shut the door and headed to the living room. He still did not trust the dupes, especially since Zan was supposed to be dead along with Rath._

Gathered in the living room of their newest hideout, Michael, Maria, Isabel, Alex, and Kyle were standing around staring at the latest arrivals with awe and trepidation. Rath and Zan were every bit the same as the group remembered from their last encounter, except that Zan had been missing then. Both sets of teens stared each other down as they contemplated what to say.

“You said that there were things we needed to discuss. Talk.”

Zan looked hard at Rath’s dupe and smirked slightly. He had heard about the Rossies from the rest of his crew. Being more alien, they remembered more about what happened to them while back on Antar than the second group who were more human. Flopping himself down on the couch, Zan kicked his feet up on the coffee table as he waved for each of them to take a seat. “It’s a rather long story. I suggest you get comfortable.”

Isabel glared a moment as she looked over at the room where her brother was lying unconscious. “Is he going to be ok? I can’t lose him.”

Rath studied Vilondra’s dupe, realizing that she was nothing like his Lonnie but so much more like the real Vilondra. “He won’t wake up until she returns. Each of you needs to relax a moment and let Zan explain the situation. The sooner you all understand what is going on, the sooner we can get Maxie to wake up.”

Michael took a seat on the opposite couch, pulling Maria into his lap as he prepared to listen to what they were about to say. The more information that they could uncover, the faster they could bring Liz home, and the sooner they could get on with their lives. Kyle took a seat to the left of Michael, and Isabel, and Alex shared the oversized chair to the right.

Zan took a breath a moment as he studied the ragtag mix of humans and aliens that greeted him. Memories flooded his brain of times back on Antar with the ragtag group of friends he had. A small smile tugged at his lips as he realized that even though this group had Max to be their leader, he would not abandon them either. He hated having to talk like some freak from New York, so he was just going to speak and allow them to understand what they could.

“Everything started just after the summit. All of us knew that Nicholas would not be too happy if I showed up to the summit. He wanted Max and his Roswell crew to show up where he planned to try to have you all killed. So Rath and I concocted a plan to fake my death. We succeeded, and I went into hiding until the business with the summit was over. We all laid low after that trying to figure out Nicholas’ plans in hopes that we could take him out. We figured if we took out Nicholas, at least, we would all be safer until we found out how to get off this rock.”

As Zan had been talking, Maria’s stomach started to rumble. None of them bothered to eat breakfast or had anything to fill their empty stomachs. Placing a small kiss on Maria’s head, Michael sat her to the side so he could stand up. “Can we continue this in a little while? None of us have eaten yet.” As he spoke, he headed towards the kitchen and started pulling out items. The whole group followed him and started placing their orders for breakfast. Flashing everyone a smile, Michael set about his work as Rath and Zan watched in awe.

“Yous can cook, man? I keep trying to get Rath here to learn with me, but he won’t budge. I tend to burn things.”

Michael laughed as he started dishing out bacon, eggs, sausage, and toast. Maria handed her plate first before he gave everyone else their food. When everyone was served, he dug into his plate as he spoke. “I sort of had to learn. Hank wasn’t exactly the best father figure, and if I didn’t cook myself dinner, I would have starved.” Everyone sat in quiet for a bit as they finished their meals. When the plates stacked in the sink, Zan ran his hand over the dishes watching them clean before ushering everyone into the living room again.

When everyone settled again, Zan continued with his story. “The last time we were all together, Rath and Lonnie told that one set of us was more alien while the other was more human. What we didn’t know at the time was that that there was, in fact, nine of us. After the Summit, we tracked Nicholas back here to Roswell. He was working with someone else here who called himself Nesado trying to find the ninth alien.”

Outraged shouts came from everyone, but Michael, who’s gaze was at the doorway where Max was still out. He remembered the conversation between the two of them as Zan and Rath. “She has been with us this whole time, hasn’t she? It’s how she knew that the granolith could be dangerous in the wrong hands. It’s how she knew she could trust us from the beginning. I always knew there was something special about her. I mean, of all the girls in the world,, why did he fight so hard to keep her in his life even though he was technically married to Tess in a past life.”

Silence filled the room as everyone processed what was said before Rath spoke. “I realized it the first time we showed up here in Roshell. Lonnie and I were digging through Max’s sock drawer, where we discovered Liz’s photo. I won’t go into the details of that conversation, but it led me to the high school. I was hoping to get information from Liz so I sort of just kissed her. It was then that I discovered who she was even though she had no idea.”

Before Rath could finish speaking, a fist had connected with his jaw. Standing above him was a raging Michael that Zan and Kyle were trying to hold back. Black eyes gazed down at the man who was currently rubbing his jaw. “Touch my little sister again, and I will kill you.” The alien side of Michael, the part that made him Rath, was beyond pissed off that someone other than the king, other than Zan, would dare to touch his sister.

Zan squeezed Michael’s shoulder, gently sending a small wave of energy through him. “Rath calm down. It will do you no good to harm someone who can help us get your sister back. Two people are counting on you right now, and you need to calm down and keep your head.”

The words mixed with the energy had the desired effect as the alien side of Michael retreated, and his eyes took on their usual brown shade. Heat and tension charged the air around the teens as they resumed their spots on the couch again. Rath looked over at Michael with a frown knowing he felt the same way about it himself. “I had no idea who she was. I just wanted to see if she was someone that could be trusted. After it happened, I felt so horrible when I figured out exactly who she was.”

Zan decided that now was the time to finish the story and bring everyone up to speed.

“Needless to say, we followed Nicholas and Nasedo here to this place as they worked out their plans for taking out Liz. It seemed that they had figured that with the human out of the way, Max would be more willing to give over the location of the granolith. The more they tried to get to her, the more Tess’ own machinations foiled their plans. While we were down here, we were also able to uncover the truth about what happened to us on Antar.” His gaze swept to Isabel for a moment as his eyes softened. “Even being more alien, the only one of us that remembers everything is me. I guess that comes from being the last one murdered.

To get on with the story. Neither Nicholas nor Nesado had any idea who Liz indeed was; they simply wanted her out of the way. So while all of you were busy dealing with Tess, Rath and I were there trying to keep them from succeeding. If we had known precisely what Tess was planning, we might have been able to save Liz from this whole thing. See, while we were tracking the skins Ava and Lonnie were back in New York trying to dig up dirt on the granolith.

We found out plenty just before you guys showed up. Three days ago, there was a significant disturbance in the area around the crash site. We could feel the shift, so we abandoned our quest for a day and traveled to the area that housed the crash. It was like a beacon showing us the way. Rath and I were able to sneak inside after Liz and the others where we saw the whole event. We knew that something big was about to happen; Rath had always been able to predict things. He called them gut feelings, but they were more premonitions.

A part of Max, the part of Zan that he buried inside of him, is coming awake. We were born more in touch with the part inside of us that gives us our special abilities, and because of it, we also remember more of who we used to be. Michael, you and Isabel have already gone through the awakening. Isabel yours started when the skins first attacked, and you had to save Tess, but it finalized when Alex went into a coma. Michael, you were the first awakened, yours happening after the incident with Hank. It takes an event of a great emotional toll to bring forth our alien side. ”

Zan took a moment to allow each of them to contemplate what he has told them. While it doesn’t yet explain why they are there, it was enough to give them something to think over. Standing up for a moment, Zan headed into the kitchen, grabbing sodas for everyone and coming back.

“There are some things we need to tell you to explain to you. After you hear this, then what is going to happen to Max will make more sense.” Rath spoke as he waited for Zan’s return.

Zan and Rath spent the next few hours explaining the history of who they were and the significance of Liz in their life. There were many questions, but all answered except for the parts about Ava. None of them seemed to understand why she would betray them. “Lonnie and Aves are going to stay in New York until they can close up the loose ends. We all want to be here when Liz returns.” It was easy enough for Zan and Rath not to dislike their Ava; she was kinder than they remembered.

~~  
As the others are spending hours learning their history, Max is trapped deep within his mind reliving all of his past life mistakes. From the first time he met Lyssariam to his death, he realized that Zan never stopped loving her even when he was married to Tess.

Sweat poured off his body as it kept its place a foot above the bed. Green sparks of lightning coursed through his veins as he felt the pull to his alien side. He was becoming Zan and less of Max, knowing that nothing would stand in his way to getting Liz back. His body was getting intune with itself, and with the part of him, that belonged to Lyssaria, to Liz, his soul mate.

Pain ran through his body as he started shaking and screaming out in pain. Everyone that had occupied the living room was currently standing in the bedroom as Zan tried to heal Max somewhat to ease the pain. “His connection with her is stronger than I ever imagined. The reason our Ava is different is that she is part Lyssaria and part Ava, but Max here has had to face the two as separate entities.”

“Is he going to be ok?” Isabel queried in a whisper.

“For now, he will be. His alien side is fighting to get out, to go after his wife, his love, his Liz. He wants to hurt everyone that stands in his way, but the human side of him is trying to calm it down and simply reach out to her. He will be in pain until she returns.” Rath sighed as he tried to give Zan energy to keep healing Max.

“His body is awaking to not only his alien side but his king's side. There are things that he will be driven to do because of a biological urge implanted in all kings. He will not be the same; there will be times when he will choose her over you, but keep in mind, he is king. He must protect not only the queen but his people; he is solely responsible for keeping the royal line going. The weight of both planets will rest on his shoulders, and each of you will need to help him. Liz is his rock, and there will be times that only she will be able to reach him. Now is one of those times. Now come, let us all leave him to rest.” Zan spoke as he watched Max’s body filter back down to the bed through the green lighting was still racing across his skin.


	12. Chapter 12

_Both Tess and Liz rubbed their eyes in sleep as they yawned. Forgetting for the moment that they weren’t alone, both girls changed into sleep clothes before crawling into their beds._

_“Good night Liz.”_

_“Good night Tess. See you for breakfast.”_

Gently closing her eyes, Liz allowed sleep to claim her slowly. Her entire body was surging with green energy and pain as she felt herself changing again. Arching off the bed, Liz tried hard not to moan in pain as energy surged throughout her entire body. Images raced through her mind as she started to remember who she used to be.

~~~  
Darkness surrounded the child as she ran through the forests behind the palace. Sweat and blood poured down her face and arms as she forced her way back home. Lyssaria was scared, afraid that she would never find anyone willing to help her.

Being half-human was hard on Antar, never knowing who she could trust. Living with her mother in a small house on the outskirts of the city, Lyssaria spent the first six years of her life on this planet hearing nothing but stories about her older half brother. Her mother was proud of the fact that Rath had made friends with the king's son and would be the next in line to run the military.

This day had started like every other, Lyssaria had awoken to the smell of bacon, eggs, sausage, and toast, but there was a new smell wafting through the air as well. Climbing out of her bed slowly, she pulled on a soft pink summer dress and headed downstairs towards the kitchen. The soft patter of her feet was the only thing that could she could hear through the halls.

Smoke filled the air as flames leaped around downstairs. Lyssaria ran as fast as she could downstairs and towards the kitchen. The sound of a piercing scream echoed through the silence. She saw her mother lying in the kitchen in a pool of blood, fire leaping around the body, and trailing towards her. Visible signs of a struggle were evident throughout the house, but the blast marks were sure to show that someone wanted them dead.

Turning Lyssaria ran from the house and towards the one place she knew where her only other family was. Bursting through the front door, Lyssaria was running as fast as her six-year-old legs would carry her. She was so focused on getting away from the house that she never noticed the large hands that grabbed her until her mouth was covered. She dragged, kicking to a black vehicle with no windows as her head was slammed hard against the metal.

She had been out for hours only to wake up with one chance to escape. Nicholas had stopped long enough to get more fuel, and she had taken off out of the back of the van. Bruises marred her left arm where the broken bone jutted from the skin, and her face was bleeding heavily. She ran as far and as fast as she could, falling and sliding in the dirt. Pain coursed through her veins as green lightning sparked from the ends of her fingertips.

She could see the palace in the distance, see the young forms of three children playing in the gardens as she approached. Staggering and falling, Lyssaria alerted the guards to her presence as she tried to approach Zan, Rath, and Vilondra.

The sound of the guards shouting and her body hitting the floor caused the three children to stop playing and stare. Rath and Zan raced over to her as they held the guards away. Looking up into the brown eyes of Rath, Lyssaria whispered, “Rath brother.” before the inky blackness of unconsciousness took hold of her.

~~  
Liz was shown the first time she had met Rath, her older brother, and Zan the person who would capture her heart. The images switched faster and faster as she saw the meeting with Zan’s parents as she explained who she was and what happened. Pictures of her moving into the palace and being included with the royal family, is considered one of the royal four, Zan, Rath, Vilondra and Lyssaria.

Arching harder off the bed, Liz let out a piercing scream as she felt pain rip through her body. She was still asleep, trapped in the dreamworld that only her awakening could bring.

Hearing the scream, Tess sat up in bed and looked over at the girl with concern. The green energy and the power radiating around Liz was enough to have her panicking. Climbing out of bed, Tess called out for a servant to fetch Serena. Pacing with worry as she waited for her friend to show up, Tess stepped closer to the thrashing body of Liz. Something was going on, and she hoped it wouldn’t end in one of their deaths.

Serena barged through the door without knocking prepared to fight off whoever had Tess panicked. “Ava, you called, and I am here. What is wrong?” She spoke at a fast pace as she cast her gaze over to the other occupant in the room. Gasping out loud, Serena rushed over to Liz and placed a hand on her gently. “Ava, give me your hand.”

Tess reached out and took Serena’s hand as she watched the other alien try to lend some strength to Liz. “What is going on, Serena? What is happening to Liz?” Panic tinged her voice as it came out fast.

“She is being awakened. Liz is becoming who she was Lyssaria. For her entire life on earth, she thought she was human, that is until the king healed her. When he healed the wound his powers awoke a small part of her allowing her to accept him again. Her body is preparing to become the queen she should have been and if my hunch is correct, Max is going through the same thing. His will last longer than hers, but she will be like this for another three days.”

Liz continued to thrash as images of herself and Zan sprang up again. Her heart and soul were connecting with Max as he shared the same pictures that were racing through her mind.

~~~  
Fifteen years old and loving her life, Lyssaria was preparing for her date with Zan. Rath was being his typical self, grumbling about her attachment to the newly crowned king. Since that day, nine years ago, she had been assimilated into the group with no questions asked. Her role in the group was still questionable at times, being the youngest sister of Rath meant that she always had a chaperone wherever she went.

Standing in front of the mirror, Lys brushed out her long brown locks as she gave herself one final look. She had chosen to wear her hair down because Zan always said he loved to run his fingers through it. She had chosen a soft green dress for the evening's events. The empire style of the dress added more elegance than she was feeling. The soft silk caressed her shoulders as it flared off with capped sleeves. Dark green sequins formed the waist as it cinched just under her breasts, blocking the skirt of the fabric from the top. The dress draped across the ground as she walked flowing in waves of silk.

A soft knock broke her out of her reverie as the door opened. Spinning around, her breath escaped in a small gasp as she took in Zan. His soft brown hair was slightly spiked at the end, giving him a rugged look. Warm amber eyes drifted across the room to gaze at her. He was wearing a black shirt that was halfway open, revealing his well-toned chest, tucked deep into the black slacks that fig snug against his toned legs.

She could feel heat crawl up her body as Zan devoured her with his eyes before holding out his hand. Lyssaria nearly flew into his arms as she kissed his cheek. “Are you ready, Zan?” She spoke as she bowed her head in respect.

Pulling her flush against his body, Zan kissed Liz hard on the lips as he let his hands roam across her back. “Come on, dear the car awaits.” Pulling Lys with him, he walked out of the palace and climbed into the car.

The ride to their destination was short, and Zan helped Lys out of the vehicle. Their escort to their date was a young man with scruffy brown hair. “Your highness. Follow me to your destination.” Zan and Lyssaria followed the young man as he showed them to their room at the hotel.

Opening the door, Zan smiled as he tipped the bellhop and escorted Lys inside the room. The table inside was set for a romantic candlelight dinner, and the lights were down low. Smiling at her, Zan kissed her lips gently as he pulled Lys closer to him. “Dinner is ready baby why don’t you take a seat.” Pulling out her seat, Zan waited for her to sit down and pushed her chair back in.

Lyssaria smiled at Zan as she sat and waited. She knew this was a special evening; it was their anniversary. There were things that only Rath, Lonnie, Zan, and herself knew, and one of those was that she was the queen. Everyone thought Zan was single, waiting to find the person that was to be his queen. No public wedding or announcement made. Instead they met in secret until they could finalize their plans. So here they were celebrating their three month wedding anniversary.

Taking his seat, Zan smiled as he poured the wine into their glasses before offering the toast. They sat and ate their dinner in companionable silence, casting furtive glances at each other. When the meal was over, Zan stood and escorted Lyssaria to the bedroom. “I have a present for you, my darling.” Setting her down on the bed, he leaned in and kissed her before pulling away. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small black box and handed it to her. Opening it slowly, Lys gasped in joy as she stared at the tiny pendant that laying in the velvet.

“It is beautiful, Zan.”

“It is a pendant of protection. The symbol, as you know means protection, but the charm it carries will keep you safe as long as you wear it.” Turning, he took the pendant and fastened it around her neck as he trailed kisses up and down the flesh.

Moaning softly, Lys started to relax in Zan’s hands as she allowed him free reign. Zan used his hands to slowly undo the halter of her dress as he kissed across the back of her neck. As his hands roamed across to cup her breasts, he followed the golden trail of light with his lips. Lyssaria started moaning louder and thrashing as she sought to assuage the ache between her legs.

Stepping back for a moment, Zan stripped off his clothes, leaving himself gloriously naked as he looked down at Lys spread out on the bed. She was lying there, her dress covering her lower half, breasts gloriously revealed waiting for his attention.

Crawling on the bed, Zan started to trail hot wet kisses across Lyssaria’s chest as he pulled at the edges of her dress, slowly pulling it down over her hips and down her creamy thighs. Tossing the clothing off the bed, Zan took hold of Lys’ right foot, massaging it gently as he started kissing up her thigh bypassing the place he knew she wanted him the most and switching to kiss down the opposing leg.

As Zan kissed her legs, Lys had a hard time not giggling. The inside of her thighs had always been a ticklish zone for her. Reaching out with her hands, she stroked her fingers through his spiky hair, trying to pull him closer to her.

Smiling wolfishly, Zan kissed up to her hip, licking the skin just around the string with his tongue as he pulled it gently, watching the knot unravel and the garment to fall away from her skin. He was always amazed by the softness of her skin as he trailed his lips closer. Finally, he would give her what he knew she wanted as he leaned in and trailed one long lick up her slit.

Lyssaria let out a constant stream of moans as she thrashed across the bed. Heat and fire raced through her veins as she lost herself to the sensations that Zan was creating. When he licked her, she nearly screamed out his name as she arched down onto his mouth.

Zan continued to lick her, smiling slightly to himself at her reactions to his ministrations. Wanting to push her over the edge, he slid two fingers into her, pumping them in fast and hard. He could feel her walls clenching around his fingers sooner than he would have liked, so he slowed down his movements. Zan loved to draw out her pleasure, especially when it meant he got to taste her sweet nectar. Flattening his tongue Zan, flicked her clit three times in rapid succession, watching as her back arched off the bed coming with a scream of his name.

Lys laid there in bliss as stars danced behind her eyes. She was on the most incredible high she had experienced so far with Zan and hoped never to come down. Soft sighs escaped her mouth as she felt his lips trailing kisses up her chest, alternating squeezing, and suckling on her breasts. While she was distracted with his drugging kisses, Zan slid himself home deep inside of Lyssaria.

Both sighed in joy at the sensations of being full and home. Leaning down, Zan started to kiss her as he pumped in and out of her slowly at first before speeding up his rhythm. Every single time was magical, and both were losing it rapidly. Feeling her clench around his member, Zan pounded as hard as he could, spilling his seed deep inside of Lyssaria as he watched her come apart in his arms.

~~  
It was the shared memories of their joining drove Liz to completion. Arching hard off the bed, she came with a scream as a soft green shield formed around her. Her powers subsided back into their normal state as her body started to wake up. Opening her eyes, she looked around the room at the two other women. “Tess? Serena? What’s going on?”Her head was pounding as she fought to remember that in this life she was Liz Parker, and not Lyssaria, Queen of Antar.

“You started screaming out in pain, so I brought Serena here to help,” Tess whispered.

Serena smiled at the young woman as she placed a hand on her head to soothe away the pain. “You went through the awakening. You had to know who you used to be so you can help your Zan once again regain his throne. He is going through the same thing that you did. You must remember who you are to prepare yourself. Rest now little one, and we will prepare for the trials when you awaken.”

Watching as Liz drifted off into sleep, Serena turned towards Tess with a strange expression on her face. “There are things that even they didn’t know. I hate to say this Ava, but you were not the true queen.”

Tess smiled softly at her two friends. “I know Rena. When we touched the granolith earlier, I got flashes of just who Liz was. They were going to tell the world, but her father betrayed her, set her up to Kivar, and allowed him to create me and bring me in. Why don’t we go somewhere else and talk so that Liz can sleep.”

Both girls pulled themselves away from the bedroom, deciding to get some food from the kitchens as they talked.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: The lyrics to Mayberry belong to Rascal Flatts and the lyrics to Caledonia belong to Celtic Woman. No infringement was intended.

Hours of conversation over, the four aliens sat quietly on the couch, processing everything that had been said. It was hard to believe that what they had been told the year before was all a lie. When they had discovered how to activate the orbs and learned of their ‘destiny,’ they had a purpose, a goal to fight for. Everything that Zan and Rath had told them seemed to counteract that.

Isabel sat in silence with her eyes closed lost in her own thoughts. The past year had been hell on them, all forcing them in directions that none of them wanted to go. She could still remember how heartbroken she had been when she had heard the story of why they were on earth. She had been so happy to know that she had been a princess on her planet, someone of importance. Her dream had always been to be a princess, but she had never expected it to be true. It was a hard thing to swallow that she had been betrothed to Michael in her other life. Shaking her head to rid itself of the thoughts Isabel stood and exited the living room.

She needed time to think, a place where she could simply go to sort out her worries and fears. Pushing open the door to her bedroom, she laid herself down on top of the covers. Sighing for a moment, she used her powers to turn on her radio as she filtered through several stations before landing on one that would do. While she was not an outright fan of country music, Isabel often felt that sometimes the music spoke the words she couldn’t get out.

_Sometimes it feels like this world is spinning faster  
Than it did in the old days  
So naturally, we have more natural disasters  
From the strain of a fast pace_

Closing her eyes softly, Isabel took deep breaths trying to calm herself down. The first strains of the song wafted to her ears, and she could not help but be drawn in. There was something so poignant about the starting words of the song. She could feel her world spinning faster and faster out of control, and she was lost on ways to stop it.

_Sunday was the day of rest  
Now its one more day for progress  
And we can’t slow down  
Cause more is best  
It’s all an endless process_

Sighing Isabel rolled over on the bed as she lost herself within the lyrics. The soft caress of the music was slowly taking over Isabel’s soul as she kept her eyes closed. So lost within the strains of the music Isabel never heard the door open slowly.

Alex entered softly as he stood in the doorway watching Isabel. She was upset, but he would not pressure her. If she wanted to talk, she would come to him like always. Alex knew he had been away for quite a while, but it was not enough to feel like an outsider.

Slowly Alex walked to the bed lying down next to Isabel. Turning so that her back was to his chest, he wrapped his arms around her gently. There were no words needed at the moment so he would be content to hold her.

_Well I miss Mayberry  
Sitting on the porch drinking ice cold Cherry – Coke  
Where everything is black & white  
Picking on a Six String  
Where people pass by, and you call them by their first name  
Watching the clouds roll by  
bye bye_

Tears leaked out from behind her closed eyes as she felt the words touch her heart. Things had been simpler when she was young, heck even a year ago before that fateful day in September, things had been more uncomplicated. She could walk down the hall and know precisely what kind of reaction everyone would give her. Her shallow friends were her security blanket, and she never honestly had to let anyone see the real her. She could spend time with Max and Michael, and no one questioned because they were considered brother and sister. Her life had been simple then, but it was empty.

It broke Alex’s heart to see the tears in his girl's eye, and he vowed silently to stop her pain by any means available. He may not be an alien, but he knew a few ways to cheer up his girl.

_Sometimes I can hear this old earth shouting  
Through the trees as the wind blows  
That's when I climb up here on this mountain  
To look through God’s window_

__

__

_Now I can’t fly  
But I’ve got two feet  
To get me high up here  
Above the noise and city streets  
My worries disappear_

Opening her eyes, Isabel turned over and locked her eyes with Alex’s. “I just feel so lost right now. For so long, Max, Michael, and I have sought to find out who we really are and why we are here. I was so happy that day in the cave when we learned who we were, but now we find out that everything is a lie.”

Alex pulled Isabel close and kissed the top of her head. “Life is full of change, Isabel. Do you wish things would go back to the way they were? Do you want to go back to hanging out with those shallow sappy girls and never getting to know three humans who love you dearly?” His words were soft-spoken with a hint of underlying fear.

Several long minutes passed before she spoke again having made a decision within herself to simply be more free-spirited. She would allow the pressures of life to simply cause her less stress. “I would never give up what I have now. I have a true family for the first time Alex. Giving that up would be giving you up, and I won’t do it”

Alex kissed the top of her head again as he reached over to turn the station but decided against it, allowing the last strains of the song to filter their world. “Sleep some baby. Tomorrow is a new day, and we can start out fresh. Rest, let your dreams carry you to the stars and back.”

_Well I miss Mayberry  
Sitting on the porch drinking ice cold Cherry – Coke  
Where everything is black & white  
Picking on a Six String  
Where people pass by, and you call them by their first name  
Watching the clouds roll by  
bye bye_

__

Sometimes I dream I’m driving down an old dirt road  
Not even listed on the map  
I pass a dad and son carrying a fishing pole  
But I always wake up every time I try to turn back

__

_Well I miss Mayberry  
Sitting on the porch drinking ice cold Cherry Coke  
Where everything is black & white  
Picking on a Six String  
Where people pass by, and you call them by their first name  
Watching the clouds roll by  
bye bye_

Leaning her head up, Isabel placed a gentle kiss on Alex’s cheek before closing her eyes. She was soon fast asleep lost in her dream world as Alex watched her with love. It had been too long since he had simply held her while she slept. Though the times were rough right now, Alex knew that his day was coming. The day when the two of them were more than just friends. A small part of him wanted to rush to process but what good would it do him.

~~~  
After Isabel left the living room emptied out fast each person traveling to their respective bedrooms. Things were tense and quiet as Maria followed Michael into their bedroom. The soft lilt of a distinctly feminine voice wafted through the air as she realized that they had left the radio on.

Upon entering the room, Michael veered off towards the dresser. He was tense and scared and trying so hard to hide his real emotions. As the words of the song hit his ears, he stilled as he listened.

_I don’t know if you can see  
The changes that have come over me  
In these last few days, I’ve been afraid  
That I might drift away  
I’ve been telling old stories, singing songs  
That makes me think about where I’ve come from  
That’s the reason why I seem  
So far away today_

Secrets had been the foundation of his life, always hiding things that he was too afraid to let someone see. These last few days had been so hard, knowing that he could go home and never see earth again had brought about a severe change within himself. His decision to tell Maria had been the hardest in his life. He wanted so badly to keep her safe and never hurt her, but it was impossible for him.

Memories of him standing there in the granolith chambers moments away from leaving still haunted him. At that moment, he chose to follow his heart for the first time, realizing that his home was here with Maria. His choices had always been about him, yet for the first time, he chose to think about someone else. These changes were scary to him making him feel vulnerable.

_Let me tell you that I love you  
That I think about you all the time  
Caledonia, you’re calling me, now I’m going home  
But if I should become a stranger  
Know that it would make me more than sad  
Caledonia’s been everything I’ve ever had_

“Maria, I love you so much. I don’t know what I would do if anything ever happened to you. I am not as strong as Max, Maria. A part of me died when Liz was taken, and now I understand why. She is my little sister, and I couldn’t even sense it. I was so lost within myself, and my thoughts never went past myself and my goals. You changed me Maria and I love you even more for it.” keeping his back to her Michael took two short breaths praying for control over his emotions.

_Now I have moved, and I’ve kept on moving  
Proved the points that I needed proving  
Lost the friends that I needed losing  
Found others on the way  
I have kissed the fellas and left them crying  
Stolen dreams, yes, there’s no denying  
I have traveled hard, sometimes with conscience flying  
Somewhere with the wind_

The nickname of Hurricane DeLuca was not a small feat to earn. There were things about Maria that she was not proud of but had shaped her into the woman she was becoming. Having a hippie for a mother had led her to certain beliefs and dreams. Since this whole encounter with the aliens, Maria had realized just how flighty her life had been. While she might not have slept around with boys, she did date and dump them. Maria had always been happy and secure in her wacky world with Liz and Alex by her side.

_Let me tell you that I love you  
That I think about you all the time  
Caledonia, you’re calling me, now I’m going home  
But if I should become a stranger  
Know that it would make me more than sad  
Caledonia’s been everything I’ve ever had_

“I love you with my soul Michael. I still remember that day you kidnapped me. It was the first day that you opened up to anyone other than Max and Isabel. That day will be with me forever.”

Ambling towards Michael, her thoughts were confusing. She loved him profoundly but her heart could not take being broken again. When he told her he was leaving, a small part of her died that day. She was hopeless without him, so in love with him that she would never admit it. Reaching out, Maria wrapped her arms around Michael’s waist as she hugged him from behind.

_Now I’m sitting here before the fire  
The empty room, the forest choir  
The flames have cooled, don’t get any higher  
They’ve withered, now they’ve gone  
But I’m steady thinking, my way is clear  
And I know what I will do tomorrow  
When hands have shaken, the kisses float  
Then I will disappear_

Sighing both Michael and Maria lost themselves in the feel of each other for a moment. Rubbing circles into Michael’s back, Maria sighed as she kissed his shoulder. “Why don’t you go take a shower and relax baby. I love you so much, but perhaps we should save this conversation for another time.”

Michael reluctantly pulled himself out her grasp to head towards the shower. Closing the bathroom door behind him, Michael took a steadying breath. Maria’s touch set a fire deep within himself, and ever since they made love a few days ago he had the hardest time resisting the urge to retake her. Turning on the water as hot as he could get it, Michael stepped under the spray. Images of seeing Maria naked and spread out before him like a feast was driving him wild.

Too soon the water was getting cold, and Michael pulled himself out of the shower. Using his powers to dry himself off, he threw on a pair of pajama pants and headed back into the bedroom. He was sprawled out on the bed, asleep in one of his Metalica tee shirts. Quietly he made his way to the bed and pulled the covers up around Maria as he slid in behind her. Wrapping his arms around her Michael drifted off into sleep hoping that tomorrow would bring a better day.


	14. Chapter 14

Time drifted by slowly as inky blackness and pain drifted through Liz’s body for the last time. While this was a necessary process it was a very painful one but would turn out to help them immensely. Shocks wracked her body twice more as Liz was slowly brought awake with a new understanding of everything. Her role in the past life had been cut short due to the actions of Rath’s father. Her true purpose had been hidden from even her but now nothing would stop her from her true goal.

During the brief time that Zan was king of Antar, he had tried to make several controversial changes to the government. One thing the Antarians were proud of was their ability to learn and assimilate Earth characteristics to their planet. There was one thing that he thought the should try; it was a parliamentary monarchy. He wanted to remain king but not be the one with total control. Zan loved his people and only wanted what was best for them, but he never truly got to implement many changes. His wedding and the coronation of his queen were supposed to be the pivotal point since Ava influenced those that wanted to reject his plans. With the murder, he never got to do any of it.

Lyssaria’s part in all of this was supposed to be by Zan’s side. The true four-square, power unimaginable that would keep Antar safe from their enemies. By turning Lyssaria away from her path, each of the powers of the royal four was weakened significantly.

As realization dawned on Liz, she knew that she needed to get back to them as quickly as she could. Pushing the covers away, she tried to stand but was still shaky from being asleep for so long. Keeping her hands on the bed, Liz concentrated on breathing and steadying herself. When she felt strong enough, she pushed away from the bed and headed towards the bathroom. Time was precious, and Liz hoped they would prepare for the three trials they were about to face.

Turning on the shower as hot as she could, Liz stood under the spray, hoping that her muscles would relax, and Tess would be back by the time she finished. Closing her eyes, Liz allowed herself to relax, but as she reached out for the shampoo, she gasped as she had a flash of images. These were not like the flashes she received when she kissed Max; this was much more subjective and felt like it was going to happen rather than it had.

Finishing her shower quickly, Liz tried to dress as fast as she could. Entering the bedroom from the bathroom she noticed that both Tess and Serena were back. They had precious little time to come up with a plan, especially if what she was actually true. “Good you both are here. I fear that we have even less time than we planned. Something happened that you both need to know about.”

Both girls turned to Liz to give her their full attention. While they had been gone Serena talked to Tess about the trials that they were going to face. There was not much known since it was rarely enacted. They had cut their walk short when Serena suddenly felt drawn to back to the room. She had a duty to protect the queen and felt compelled to do so. So now here they were about to learn what had Lyssaria on edge.

“Your Highness are you sure you wish to talk to us about this here? The longer you stay here the more danger you are in. We must get you and Ava back to Earth as soon as possible.”

“I appreciate your concern Serena but I merely wanted to talk about the trials. I believe I know what they are and how we can win. I was in the shower just moments ago and I touched the shampoo bottle. I had a flash, almost like a vision of what was to come. We only have on hour to go over this before they come for us.” Liz said as she started outlining the plan that would grant them their freedom but ensure that they made it home with the full protection of the granolith.

~~~  
The loud knock on the door made the room fall silent as one of the guards pushed the door open and escorted all three women out of the room. They were led down a long hallway that had no windows or doors for ten minutes. Finally stopping just outside a set of double wooden doors the guard spoke brusquely. “Step inside. You will find a set of robes that are traditional for these events. Once you are dressed you will wait until further instructions are given.”

Both girls looked hesitant for a moment but they skittered through he door to find the robes laying there. Dressing quickly, Liz in green and Tess in blue both girls were surprised at how well they fit. This was going to be tough because the first two challenges were individual challenges, trying to force them to fail by presenting them with something they were not good at.

Minutes ticked by as they waited for the next set of instructions to come to them. Kivar watched both girls from afar, unimpressed with the fact they seemed to be confident about what they were about to face. He had specifically chosen these tasks to watch them fail. Smirking slightly he spoke to give them their next commands. As King, he had the right to set this challenge up any way he wished, and he would make sure it was in his favor. “The first event is a mental challenge. The first contestant is Liz Parker.”

Things were looking good since this would be easy for Liz. She was the one with the knack for mental challenges, so she stepped forward and waited for the task to show up for her. While she knew that things could be dangerous, she was not going to overlook the fact that Kivar did not know enough about her. If he was trying to see them fail, then he should have chosen Tess.

“Your task is simple enough. You will be presented with a series of questions about Antarian government and history. There will be a total of 30 questions and you have the ability to skip only two. To pass this trial you must successfully answer at least 28 questions correctly. You may begin” Kivar hissed out as he sat back to watch the girl fail.

Liz confidently stood her ground and hoped that Kivar did not realize she had the granolith on her side. When her awakening had been completed Liz had been given all the knowledge that Lyssaria knew as well as the knowledge passed down to the kings and queens of Antar by the granolith. Suddenly a flash of white light surrounded her and Liz was frozen in her spot as she was greeted by images of the Elders of the kingdom. They introduced themselves and explained what was about to happen. The questions began and she tried hard to remember everything that she had been shown. Answering to the best of her ability Liz waited for the verdict of her task.

“Lyssaria it is truly an honor to see you again. You have shown a true mastery of the history of your planet and the knowledge that only the true queen of Antar has. We are honored to inform you that you have passed this trail”

The white light surrounding her disappeared and Liz waited to see what Kivar would do next. His frown had her frightened but Tess was smiling at her giving her a thumbs up. They had come to win, not to back down to some tyrant.

“The second task is one of powers. Tess is to demonstrate the strength of her powers against an opponent of my choosing. If she can successfully use her powers to deflect or distract the opponent then she shall win. ” Kivar spoke again.

Tess stepped forward to face the guard that was waiting for her. A soft wind picked up blowing her robes around her making them flutter. Tess was prepared, she knew her powers were stronger here on Antar than they were on Earth. Starting slowly, Tess eased into a mind-warp. She wanted to make the man see angry bunnies hopping around his feet. If she broke her concentration on her task to see if it worked, she would lose, so she kept her eyes closed and focused. Building the scene was the hardest part since she had to scare him. Hearing giggling coming from her right, Tess broke the mind warp in time to see the guard running around in circles screaming about rabid rabbits. The task was accomplished, and both girls stood to wait for the next task.

“So you managed to get past the first two trials, but let's see how you do on the third. If I had my way, you would be fighting each other, but since you entered into this as a team, you are allowed to work together. The third trial is a battle of powers, your powers versus ours. You will face two teams of four guards. If you manage to get past all of them, our bargain will stand. You will be free to take a ship back to earth. You will get time to try to teach the others what you learned here before I seek out Zan.”

With these last few words spoken, Kivar waved his hand and the bunker they were in transformed into rocky terrain. Tess and Liz looked around wondering just how they were going to get out of this. Liz had an offensive power while Tess’ was primarily defensive. They had no time to plan as the first set of guards came out and took their positions. Blasts started firing off but Liz simply smirked as she reached out and took Tess’ hand.

 _Tess, trust me on this. I have the protection of the granolith, and as long as you do not let go, it extends to you as well. We can do this; this is sort of like the four square. Each of us can pull power from the other. I can grant you some of my lightening, and you can lend me some of your mental abilities. We have to get through this._ Liz spoke in the other girl's mind.

Now was not the time to freeze up so both girls held onto each other tightly as they threw blast after blast, some laced with green lightning towards the guards. When the first group fell the second took their place. A blast from the side shook Liz as she crumpled over struggling to breathe. She refused to let go of Tess but this was the distraction that she needed. Concentrating hard, Tess managed to mind-warp each of the guards and simultaneously set them on fire. Her task done and the challenge won, she dropped down next to Liz.

The wound did not look good but this was not the place to examine it. Placing her hand on the wound she tried to manipulate it slightly to heal it some. Only the king was granted the power to heal but Liz was a friend. Looking around she spotted Kivar fleeing before they could turn on him.

Serena came running into the room, stopping short as she saw her queen in a heap on the ground. Picking up Liz, she turned to Tess, “Ava we have to go now. I have a ship ready. There is a medical bay on board that we can place her in stasis. All we can do is dress the wound and try to stop the bleeding until we can reunite her with her king.”

Tess did not even question as she followed quickly with Serena. With everything that had happened, she wanted to go back to her home. The trip to the ship was quicker than she had expected, and she helped Serena place Liz within the stasis chamber. The pod sealed shut, keeping Liz breathing and alive but protected so the ship would not jostle her too much. “Serena, are you going with us?”

“I cannot leave our queen alone. She needs to get to the king and quickly if she is to survive. The part of the granolith that brought you here was on autopilot. The only other person that can fly the ship is in stasis.” Smiling at her friend, Rena took hold of the controls and prepared the ship for taking off.

Before she could speak again, Tess felt a rumbling as they blasted off into space. The trip would take a few hours, so she decided it was time to get some sleep. Things were going to be dangerous for her if she could not get Liz healed and awake before the others attacked her. Saying her goodnights, Tess headed to one of the cabins. Her bags were already packed and waiting for her as she shoved them on the ground and simply fell asleep in her robes on the bed.

Five hours passed, the trip back to earth was not quite as quick as the trip from the earth to Antar. They landed quietly just minutes from the old crash site. The ship set up with a cloaking device that would help it blend in, and being nighttime, it was less likely they would be seen than if they had arrived during the day.

Upon landing, Serena went and woke Tess. They needed to figure out how they were going to get Liz to Max since they had no idea if any of them were still in town. Through quick discussions, it was decided that Tess would scout out the town and try to figure out what was going on. She would report back to Serena, but until they could make contact, Liz would stay in stasis.


	15. Chapter 15

Pink and orange rays danced in the scattered dust that graced the now-empty bed. Silence filled a room where once there were screams of pain. Delicious smells of eggs, sausage, and bacon wafted through the cabin as one lone person stood at the stove. It had been days since anyone had seen him, let alone since he had moved. Everything seemed as if all was in place, but the images and thoughts raced through his mind. Max had, for the most part, felt all of the pain and anguish bestowed upon his people by Kivar.

His awakening intended to reveal the secrets of the granolith, to prepare him to be the rightful king. What he had received were images, flashes with sounds attached, showing him who he used to be, and the truth to why he was drawn to Liz. Everything he had thought, known deep in his heart, was counteracting what he already knew.

When he had awoken, Max had almost screamed in pain. Liz was hurt somewhere on a foreign planet, and he was stuck. Relentlessly the thoughts and images continued to collide within his brain, making it harder for him to process. He had spent twenty minutes allowing his mind and body to return to normal. Afterward he decided to make breakfast for the group to get some answers.

Doors opened as each person walked towards the smell. Maria was curious, wondering who was cooking since Michael was right behind her. Yawning, each person got to the kitchen only to stop dead in their tracks causing bodies to crash into each other. Six pairs of eyes stared in complete shock at the figure cooking.

Hearing the shuffling of footsteps, Max turned to look at the group. A small tentative smile graced his features as he spoke, “You guys hungry? I made sausage, eggs, bacon, and toast. I know I’m not as good a cook as Michael, but I can still cook” He was nervous, wondering what the others thought about him.

Maria could sense the nervousness of Max and approached him slowly. Throwing her arms around him in a big hug. “Max, I am so glad you're awake. We were all starting to get scared. I. I know I was. I mean, what was I going to tell Liz if you never woke up.” Releasing him quickly, she stepped back and grabbed a plate.

Michael was shocked to see his brother awake, but it quickly wore off as he approached Max. Pulling the other man into a deep hug, Michael embraced his brother and king. “Maxwell, I am glad to see you are awake. I hope this doesn’t mean you will take over my job as the cook.” His joke meant to ease some of the tension.

The other occupants of the room merely shrugged and grabbed plates. The food was good but not as good as when Michael cooked, but no one wanted to say anything.

As everyone sat around the table, eating Max spoke once again. “Zan, Rath. Thank you both for coming out here and helping us with Nicholas and Nasedo.” He was sincere in his words, but there was still something else bothering him. He would speak with Zan about it later.

When breakfast was over, everyone gathered in the living room to watch movies. Everyone seemed to be relaxing and having a good time. While everyone else got settled, Max pulled Zan to the side.

“We need to talk away from the others. Follow me.” Max silently commanded.

Zan nodded his head and followed Max. When he had first arrived, he had been the more alien of the two, but there was no doubt here who was the rightful king. When both men were safely within the confines of the master bedroom, they looked at each other merely regarding each with the calm of a king.

“I feel, Liz. It’s like this pulse I cannot place, and it really is driving me crazy. The only thing is it's getting weaker. I don’t think I am strong enough to find her before the signal fades.” He sounded sad, distraught as he looked at his dupe.

Zan was surprised by what he heard. He could feel the pulsing as well. It was part of the alien DNA that made them who they were. It was a way for the king to keep tabs on the queen. “I thought Liz was on Antar. The connection does not travel that far, Max. If she was on Antar, you would not be able to feel it. The connection doesn’t work that way. It means she is here on earth somewhere. Why don’t we go meet with the others and put our heads together? We need to find her.”

Max was surprised to hear the conviction in the other man’s voice. Liz was his everything, and if he had to die to save her, he would, but Zan wasn’t a part of the group. He had his girl already, Ava, so why the fierceness to finding Liz. Turning on his heels, Max headed out into the living room. Coughing to get everyones attention, “We need to talk.” He spoke as he took a seat and started to discuss what was going on.

~~~~~  
Deep within the status pod on the return ship from Antar, Liz was resting peacefully. Her wounds weren’t healing, much more frozen in time until Max could get to her.

Tess was growing concerned about the idea of bringing the group to them. She only hoped that they would allow her the chance to explain. Things were so different than when they left a few days ago, but her fear was enough to keep her from being the one to seek out the pod squad.

Serena knew that the time had come to try to find the king and the rest of the group. Tess had shown her a picture of what the true king looked like, and she was reasonably confident that she would be able to remember. There was also the fact that every alien gave off a sort of pulse beacon to others of their species. They could sense others long before they arrived.

Casting her gaze at her queen, Serena bowed slightly before exiting the shelter of their cave. She was hoping to be as inconspicuous as possible, but she knew she would stand out in a crowd. Rena was not overly tall but she did exude a certain air that made others want to get to know her. She had a few stops to make before she could begin her search.

Her first stop would be to acquire a vehicle, something that would not stick out too much but would also be practical in the New Mexico heat. There were a few places that she could go that were actually on her way into town. It was amazing how much she knew about the small town of Roswell only due to her connection to the queen.

Being alien allowed her the ability to will herself where she wanted to be. It was a power she hoped to teach them all soon enough. Approaching the junkyard she hoped her stop here would be quick, and it was. There was not much of a selection to choose from, but the small SUV would be perfect if they had to move the stasis pod. Using her powers, she changed some blank papers into cash and paid for the car. Paying in money was the easiest way to stay anonymous.

The next three stops were relatively quick. Serena picked up some clothes that would help her blend in better with her surroundings. She also grabbed a few books and some food that she takes back. Tess had suggested to her that she try to get some food at a place called the Crashdown Cafe, Liz’s parents owned it, and the podsters usually hung out there.

It was worth the effort though she despised the town for the way they laughed at her kind. She wondered how they could be so callous, they didn’t even know they had a king and queen within their midsts.

It did not take her long to find the building, and she almost wanted to sneer at the cafe. Pushing back her hostility, Serena walked steadily through the doors and found herself a seat at a booth near the back of the cafe. She could feel eyes on her, but she managed to shrug them all off. She could care less what the others thought of her. She was here on a mission, and nothing would get in her way.

Soon enough, all eyes but one set went back to their own tasks. One single set of eyes remained focused on the woman that had just walked through the door. The man could almost bet that she was an alien; she acted so foreign like someone used to being around royalty instead of ordinary people. He only hoped she was one of the good guys and if she were it would mean that Liz was back. Deciding he was going to find out, the man made his way over to the booth and sat himself down.

“Welcome to Roswell, miss. We have things to discuss.”


	16. Chapter 16

_“Welcome to Roswell miss. We need to talk.”_

The sound of the familiar voice was enough to make Serena see red. Of all the times for him to show up, he chose now to be here. His one mission had been to protect and watch over the royal five. He was their protector, not that idiot Nasedo and worst of all, he was her father.

Purple eyes darted around the establishment as she fought the urge to use her powers. Secrecy was vastly essential to the mission she was undertaking, and it would not be her that failed them all. “You don’t have a right to talk to me. You lost that right a long time ago.” Anger seethed from her every word as she spat them across space.

Pulling herself from the booth, Serena flung her hair behind her back and stormed out of the diner. She needed time to think, to figure out why he was here. He wasn’t supposed to be a part of the plan, but it seemed that he had changed things. How he managed to sneak his way up here, she might never know.

The man wasn’t going to allow himself to be deterred. He needed information, needed to find out why she was here on Earth. He knew that he had failed his duty, but he was going to make it up to them. He been silent, trying so hard to blend in and fit within the culture he was trying to adapt.

Serena was angry, pissed off beyond belief that someone like him would even attempt to show their face now. Oh, everyone knew what had happened with the protectors of the royal four. After all, Kivar made it his business to know as much as he could to prepare for an attack. The fact that he didn’t know where they were was always a plus after all who would suspect that they lived in a town like Roswell.

She was on a mission, needing to find anyone that could help her locate where Max was. The alley behind the Crashdown would not keep her hidden for long, and she did not have time to sit and idly wonder what to do next.

Walking swiftly to a black dodge ram truck, Serena used her powers to unlock the door and slide inside. Using it as a cover to sneak through to the ladder that would take her to the back of the resteraunt. Oh the irony that the queen would live above an alien-themed restaurant was enough to make Serena roll her eyes. She hated that the world thought the way they did, but then again, ignorance always made people do strange things.

Pushing open the door to the apartment above the restaurant, Serena quickly dashed through the place. She was looking for clues and gathering items that would help Liz feel more at home while she was in the stasis chamber. Forthright had not exactly been the way she was when she had left Tess in charge of the girl. It was true that the stasis chamber kept them suspended in a specific period where they could not die, but they were fully conscious. If Liz so wished she could communicate and function like an average person as long as she didn’t leave the chamber. There hadn’t been enough time to fill the other girl in on the workings of the device; she had needed to get home first.

The clues were easy to find. Max had managed to find his way in and leave a note for Liz should she ever return, though he had poorly hidden it in her biology textbook. Serena knew that being full-blooded allowed her to see things that weren’t quite right.

Pulling the note out, she looked it over as she read aloud.

_My Dearest Liz,_

_If this note finds you before, I do know that I always have and will always love you. Things are not ok with the world right now, and we have had to seek refuge. Last we saw you, Tess was taking you with her to Antar and I don’t know how long you will be gone. If you manage to return without our aid, believe that we are all safe. Kyle, Maria, and Alex are with us. I’ll tell you about Alex if I ever see you, there just isn’t enough time in this letter._

_We are all staying at the place in the desert that the Valenti’s own. If you need us, we will be there. I hope to see you soon, my love._

_Max_

Sighing, she wanted to take a moment to enjoy the strangeness that was her king, but she was running out of time. Serena tucked the note in her back pocket, grabbed a few items, and flew back out the door. She was going to find the boys before her counterpart did, or they were all in for a world of hurt.

~~~~~  
Tess was afraid, all alone in the pod with Liz. She knew that they had worked out their differences, but what would stop her from turning on her now that they weren’t on Antar. She knew she was ridiculous, but she couldn’t help the fear.

A soft beeping came from her bag, and she pulled herself up from the chair to look. Her cell phone, having been dead while on Antar, was beeping, alerting her to a message. She quickly read the text and sent a response back. It seemed as if Kal had somehow managed to get her number. He was in town, searching for the gang just like Serena was. She had no idea his motives.

Her blue eyes traveled once again to the form in the stasis chamber, and she was mildly surprised to see Liz sitting up and smiling. “Liz. You’re finally awake. Rena went to see if she can find the boys. I would have gone, but I didn’t want to leave you all alone.”

“It is alright, Ava. Do not fear; they will not harm you in my presence. You are family, a part of us whether they like it or not. It meant from day one that you would be with us, as would the humans. Please, if you would, see if you can contact Serena. Only I will be able to reach Zan. If she shows up she will be killed, please she needs to get back here.” Lyssaria spoke as she watched her sister.

Comprehension dawned on Tess as she quickly closed her eyes and tried to use her powers to reach out to Serena. She could feel the pulsing beacon that was Liz as she attempted to make contact. The other alien was not allowing her in, didn’t want to head the message. Serena had always been headstrong, but willful was something new.

“I can’t get through, Liz. She won’t let me in. I don’t know what to do now.” Tess was trying hard not to panic. If they killed Serena, there was no one to help her get Liz to safety, to find the rest of the group.

“Do not panic. I will summon my love to me, and all will be well. Even now, I fell the other Zan reaching out to seek me out, he is stronger for now, but I know my Zan will find me.” Liz said as she closed her eyes and focused on Max and sending him her location.


	17. Chapter 17

_Do not panic. I will summon my love to me, and all will be well. Even now, I feel the other Zan reaching out to seek me out, he is stronger for now, but I know my Zan will find me.” Liz said as she closed her eyes and focused on Max and sending him her location._

Perhaps it was too much hope that Liz knew Max as well as she thought she did. They had this connection between them, something that was tangible and real and so very hard to describe. Never had she thought that in the two years that she had truly started to get to know the quiet boy that anything like this would happen to her? Liz, Lyssaria, whomever she was, was someone with whom the world would come to love. In her heart, she knew that their life on earth was just starting, and they had not even begun their life on Antar. Dark brown eyes stayed closed behind eyelids that were starting to moisten from the exertion Liz was putting them through.

The group that had gathered in the outskirts of the town watched with fear in their eyes as Max and Zan both stopped talking and stood very still. Max could feel the whisper of Liz reaching out to him through their connection, calling to his soul. The simple knowledge that he was connected to his Liz made him crack a smile. In his voice, he could hear her talking to him.

_**“Max. Max, I need to tell you something, and I need you to listen, ok. It is going to sound strange, well not as strange as me returning to Earth from a trip to Antar.” Her voice was breathless as she tried to run through everything that needed to be said.** _

Zan stood off to the side, using his powers to try to help locate the queen. Something or someone was blocking him, and he had an idea who it was. The energy was familiar to him, someone he hadn’t seen in so long but someone whom he wouldn’t mind seeing again. Her presence was close as if she was seeking them out. Knowing that Max was in a jumpy stage, and so were the others, the addition of an unknown alien would only make things worse.

All of the aliens could feel this presence near them, and it was making them all a bit on edge. Anger and frustration seemed to radiate off the being without any clear direction. Michael and Rath both stood up from their seats and headed towards the back door. From there, they could watch anyone sneak up on them from behind. Being the protectors, they were more than happy to fall back into that role without anyone asking them to do so. Maria was nervous, and instead of choosing pacing she went and joined Michael by the window, offering a second set of eyes.

“Everyone relax and calm. Our visitor is not out to harm us; she is a friend one we have long since forgotten since our arrival here. Serena means us no harm; she’s just frustrated because she had such a hard time finding us. If you will grant me a moment, I will know more as Liz tells me.” Max’s voice rang out strong and proud as he sought to quell the fear and nervousness he was seeing in his friends.

 _“I am not strong enough to reach out to everyone. The longer this takes, the weaker I get. Listen, someone named Serena is heading your way. She is a friend, an ally, and the only one that can lead you to where I am. You see, I am injured, and Tess and Serena saved me and brought me back here to you. I can’t tell you more than that; I fear the stasis chamber is making me weak; the longer I am in here, the less chance I have of getting out becomes. Trust in Serena when she arrives. Listen to her and head her words.”_ Liz’s voice faded in and out of Max’s mind as she tried to relay her message. She hoped that he would understand and could get the others to do the same.

The note that was left wasn’t that hard to find, and neither was the house that Max had mentioned, though Serena wondered if he understood that. For a human, his words would be cryptic and hard to decipher, but for an alien, the trail was easy enough to pick up on. All she had to do was use her powers to follow his path. Serena was racing as fast as she could to the place where her king was, the place where she would find the person that would save the queen and their world. How was she to tell Max that Liz was dying, that if she died, so did their chance of saving home?

The motorcycle that she had stolen was roaring along the road, dust flying behind it. In her view, she could see the house and knew that there was no turning back. She only hoped that no one followed her. It was dangerous to lead their enemies to the king, especially at a time when everyone was vulnerable to attack. Purple eyes glazed over as she slowed the motorcycle down and parked it next to the house. Using her powers was like breathing air for the humans, something that was so natural that not to do so would be a crime.

Max had been waiting for their visitor to arrive and was at the door almost before Serena was. Everyone was on pins and needles, watching his reactions. Words did not need to be spoken. Amber eyes met purple as Max stepped aside from the door and ushered the woman in. Max was strange to everyone, calm. “Serena, it has been to long, my friend. Come in.”

Stepping across the threshold, Serena could feel the power of two kings staring at her. Zan and Max together each bearing qualities, so like the old Zan of Antar. Max had the looks, and from what she had gleaned the Zan of earth had, the attitude. There was no doubt that Max was the true king if there had been, the granolith would have killed Liz and him both. “My king. I am afraid that this isn’t a social call. Liz needs you, and she needs you now.”

Michael and Maria headed into the living room, followed by Rath. Alex and Isabel were still there, and Zan and Max stood guard as they waited for Serena to continue.

“I don’t know how much about the situation each of you knows. I will try to be brief yet concise in explaining the situation. Tess took Liz to Antar, and while on the planet, both girls were awakened by the granolith. Tess discovered the truth about who she was, that she was created by Khivar to betray the king, and on Antar, she had no real control over her thoughts and actions at that time. Liz is the queen, and Khivar challenged both girls. They fought, and Ava risked her life to save Liz and bring her back. She is dying, painfully and slowly. Her wounds aren’t progressing because we have her in a stasis chamber, but the power for that won’t last much longer. I assume that the king has awakened as well? For if he hasn’t, and he tries to heal the queen, he will die. We need to go because Liz has precious moments to spare.” Serena was heading for the door almost before she finished speaking. A part of her doubted if anyone would follow her. Of course, she probably didn’t have to worry; even in the past, her king loved her queen to the point of death.

The roar of the motorcycle engine filled the quiet of the desert air as she started to race away. The Jeep and other cars followed behind, not too far but just enough that it wouldn’t look too suspicious. That might be why they missed the fourth vehicle that joined them. The one was containing a mysterious man, who was trying to get his way in this world. If he was friend or foe, well, that is to be determined, but he would follow the group of teens and see where they went.


	18. Chapter 18

_The roar of the motorcycle engine filled the quiet of the desert air as she started to race away. The Jeep and other cars followed behind, not too far but just enough that it wouldn’t look too suspicious. That might be why they missed the fourth vehicle that joined them. If he was friend or foe, well, that is to be determined, but he would follow the group of teens and see where they went._

Everything happened for a reason, and Liz understood that. The power it had taken to reach out to the Kings, mainly her Max had used everything she had. With a weak smile, she looked at Tess before closing her eyes. Rest would be the thing she needed to heal, to be better. Inside her body, things were changing, still, even with the help of the granolith. To the world, she had been born Elizabeth Claudia Parker, or Liz as she preferred being called, but that was a lie. She was Lyssaria, baby sister to Rath and the one true queen of Antar. Images still swirled into her head about their lives all those centuries ago on a world long thought dead. The recent trip to Antar was proof enough that the planet was alive, but it wasn’t the same. Since Khivar’s rule, Antar had disappeared from the radar, hiding in the shadows away from the other planets in their system. Unlike when Zan was ruling, there was no peace, no prosperity, and no trade between the worlds.

Blue eyes held fear in them as Liz’s body crumpled inside the protective barrier. Tess was at a loss on what to do. Even Ava was at a loss for words as Tess finally allowed that side of her to merge. Being awakened was only the first step; it opened up the channel between the body and the granolith and let the memories seep in and the essence of the alien to awaken. However, the next step was to accept that alien part of you. They had to allow it to merge with them, to give up the humanity that they were fond of to become something more than human. Allowing Ava to take control, Tess joined with her alien, and it worried her that her queen would do so while unconscious. She cared not about how people would react to her, about the type of welcome she would receive from Max and Zan when they found her.

Noises outside their haven brought the petite blonde’s eyes open. It was now time to face the inevitable standing guard outside of Liz’s location; Ava watched as Max, Zan, and the rest of the group rushed in. Everyone seemed to stop upon seeing her, and she could see the hands raise, preparing to attack her. She had promised herself that she would accept whatever punishment they deemed of her, even death. True Liz has promised to tell them that she wasn’t at fault here, but with her being unconscious, it would be hard to do. Standing tall and proud of the true Antarian in her sneered at those that came in, knowing that only two of them were equal to her. There was no doubt in her mind that, while she was staring at Max and Zan, only one of them was the true Zan king of Antar.

Max had no idea where he was going to end up, but he knew how to find his Liz. She was growing weak. Not in the way that her pulse was fading but that her power was slipping. He was trying to reach out to her to let her know that everything would be ok. So many things had happened in the days since she had was gone, since he had awoken. Everything was spinning out of control, and for once, he just wished he knew what to do. Something was whispering in his mind, telling him that he needed to get to Liz soon. Liz was going through a change, one that would allow her to bear the heir to the king, something his queen had never managed to do before they were all murdered. Dark amber eyes scanned the horizon of the desert as they noticed the trail of cars behind him. He could spot the Jetta that Maria was driving, with several people tucked inside. Kyle’s mustang was just behind that. They had left Tess’s van back at their secret hideout, thinking it might be too conspicuous in the desert. Michael had grumbled about not having his bike, especially after seeing Zan’s.

There was a fourth car that seemed to be following them, one that Max had seen around town. He wasn’t sure what to do, but right now, he needed to get to his Liz before something else happened to them. Whoever it was that was following them would face their wrath soon enough, if he was a threat. Max could feel the pulsing beacon of his queen, and he slammed on the gas before veering right sharply. Stopping the jeep roughly near an outcropping of rocks, he climbed out and scoured the area. Maz could feel her pulsing around him and pushed through the illusion of the stones. Bursting through, he skidded to a stop with everyone on his heels as he saw Tess standing there. He couldn’t fight the need to raise his arm, to use his power to blast her into oblivion. He wasn’t expecting her words to the contrary.

“Zan don’t please. This isn’t the same Tess that took Liz; she’s Ava now just as you are Zan. The only one of the three that hasn’t finished the process is Liz. If you kill Ava, you will destroy the thing that is keeping your queen alive. It was all we could do to stop the wound from seeping after Khivar hurt her, she needs you and only you. Tend to the queen now or watch Antar fall for good.”

The voice wasn’t one that was familiar to any of the group except for Serena and she growled under her breath. Now was not the time for Kal to show up, he had given up his rights as a protector when he abandoned them, and now he shows up out of the blue. Serena wanted to hurt him, but the older man was right. Max needed to tend to Liz before she got worse.

Tess wasn’t sure what to do. It was taboo not to bow to her king but now was not the time. There was still one final step for him be that powerful. Keeping her head lowered, Tess nodded slightly as she moved out of the way allowing Max to approach the area where Liz was.

Amber eyes saw his love laying there, her breathing even in sleep as he tried to gather his thoughts. He had no trouble passing through the barrier that kept everyone out. Kneeling down next to Liz, he tapped into his powers and healed her once again. The wound, as strange as it sounds, was in the same place as the bullet all that time ago. He could feel her change finish with him, she was letting Lyssaria have control, and it was for the best. He needed his true queen by his side, the person that balanced him out and kept the darker side of him from coming out.

Opening her eyes, Liz smiled up at the person near her. “Max. My Max, it’s good to see you. We have much to discuss. Can we get out of here?” Trying to sit up she sighed when she realized that she couldn’t because Max wasn’t going to let her out of his site.

“If I may, I can get us and our cars back to a safe location quickly. There is much that all of us must discuss.” Kal spoke.

Max/Zan didn’t trust the man but talking here wasn’t the best idea. Nodding his head, he turned his attention back to Liz, so glad to have her in his arms once again. They would talk later about things in her journal and things between the two of them. It was three seconds later that he realized they were back at the house the group had left from. All of their cars were parked outside, and the group was sitting on the couches. Liz was yawning in his arms, and he knew she had to be tired. They weren’t the official king and queen yet, true he was by blood, but they had yet to consummate their relationship which would grant her the status she needed to rule.

Taking a moment to catch her breath, Liz started to speak.

“What I have to say is going to take some time to explain. I need everyone to have patience and understanding while I try to explain. Save your questions until the end, and I will do my best along with Serena to address them all.” Casting her eyes from one member of her small family to the next, Liz knew she had their attention even the dupes, and she hadn’t expected them to stick around.

Everyone was going to be vital to the final battle. Each had a role to play, and she couldn’t tell them what it was because it might jeopardize their positions more than they like. She understood everyone’s feelings; perhaps that was her new gift now that she was more alien than before. Letting out the breath she had been holding Liz started the talk.

“Everything that we learned came straight from the granolith. We all know already that Max was the king, and he was called Zan. We know that Michael was the second in command named Rath, and the betrothed of the princess Vilandra who is Isabel. We were misinformed; however, about the identity of the queen. Tess can attest to this, as she was the one hurt the most in this situation.

See everyone was under the deluded illusion that Khivar placed upon the planet. His power is strong; the only one stronger was Zan. See Khivar created Ava; she was a mix of his DNA and humans. The idea was that she would be the most aesthetically pleasing to Zan, that she would be the perfect girl and would become the queen. By doing so, he would have an inside person in the castle who could let him in for the assassination. He couldn’t trust Vilandra to truly love him, and honestly, I don’t blame her for not. Every single person on the planet was under the impression that Zan was set to marry Ava, and even during the ceremony it was Ava that appeared to the populace also thought it was really Lyssaria who was marrying the king.

Khivar, like Ava, has the power to manipulate the mind and allow people to see what he wants. He used this power to distract everyone so he could get into the castle and murder everyone. The order of death wasn’t important, but Ava was murdered first, and Zan was forced to watch as Lyssaria was murdered before he was killed himself. His mother, along with a family friend, Larek, managed to gather enough essence from all of us that they could make three sets of aliens to send to Earth. The first set didn’t make it off of Antar, Khivar discovered it and destroyed them while they were still being incubated. He didn’t expect your mother to try again.”

Taking a moment to wipe away the tears from her eyes, Liz looked into the amber eyes of her lover and sighed. Oh how glad she was to see Max again, to know that what she was telling people would change their lives forever.

“The second set; well, there was only enough essence of Lyssaria to make one attempt at her. The second set was more alien than human, and they were destined for New York City, you guys know the rest of that one, the third set well they ended up in Roswell New Mexico, more human than alien. Each group was supposed to have a protector, someone that was there when they awoke to show them the ways of Antar and to prepare them for going back and fighting Khivar. You see… The essence of Lyssaria was never supposed to end up being reborn, I was never supposed to exist.

I am the baby sister of Rath, the only daughter born into a family of male warriors. Rath’s father put his foot down, demanding that only Rath be reborn and not his daughter. I was an outcast, only loved by my brother and his best friend. Ava was instead reborn in my place, and the memories of the true identity of the queen were altered, and everyone was supposed to believe it was Ava. It was easier that way, after all.”

Resting her head on Max’s shoulder, Liz hiccupped a moment as her tears fell. She couldn’t talk more about it, it was too painful. Looking over at the group each person had their attentions pointed on her.

Serena knew that her queen wasn’t ready to talk more, so she would take over instead. “Allow me to pick up where our queen left off. There was little time for them to make sure that everything went according to plan. The elders had to launch the pods and simply hope that they survived. So they did, but one of the guardians was on Khivar’s side. You see, only Kal was a true guardian but once he came to earth, he realized that Kal enjoyed being human than having to protect the race to which he belonged. I can’t fault him for that after all everyone assumed that the true king was dead, with the crash and everything.

Lyssaria’s essence was mixed with the DNA of two humans, Claudia Parker and Nancy Parker, and she was placed in the human directly. Only myself and a few others knew that the true queen was going to be reborn. Max, Zan, whatever name he goes by on this planet knew who she was from the moment he saw her. They are linked, by a love so pure it’s a part of their essence.

You know the stories of the rest, about how Tess grew up. When Tess fulfilled her promise to her father, her guardian, and Khivar’s brother and brought Liz to Antar, she was actually allowing herself to break the control that had been over her for a long time. It was on Antar that Liz met me, and a friend who would show her and Tess the true way of things. If Liz were not truly Lyssaria, then the granolith would have killed her and she would not have managed to temporarily defeat Khivar and his schemes. Do not punish Tess for her actions; they were ingrained in her by something she couldn’t control.”

As Serena spok,e she used her powers to show everyone the events that had happened on Antar, to let the others know that they needed to be awakened and to merge with their alien sides or they would never survive Khivar’s plans. “Antar needs you”

It was strange for everyone to sit there and listen to the story but to be shown the truth of both their pasts and their present was even more bizarre. There was more to the story, as they were told. While Zan and Lyssaria would forever be linked as husband and wife, as king and quee,n the others were free to choose their own mates. Only the King of Antar was forced to submit to the actual betrothal. Everyone sat there in stunned silence as they wondered just what to do. It was Liz’s yawn that forced Max into action.

“How about we all call it a night, and we discuss our plans in the morning.”

With nods of agreement, everyone got up slowly and headed off to their designated bedrooms. Well, everyone but Serena and Tess. Neither woman knew where they were supposed to sleep, especially Tess, she couldn’t understand why they hadn’t killed her yet.

When a hand ended up in front of Tess, she looked up shocked. It was Kyle, she had expected him to never speak to her again. “What.. Kyle?”

“There are things that happened to each of us that are out of our control, we cannot hold you responsible for actions that were programmed into you. Come on, let’s get some sleep.”

Unable to argue with Kyle, Tess simply took his hand and allowed her to be lead to the room. She would work things out with Kyle later; right now she was worried about her queen.

With everyone in their assigned rooms, Max and Liz wondered what was going to happen now. Both had been through their awakenings, had allowed part of the alien inside of them control but they knew that something else was driving them.

Looking into each other’s eyes, Liz and Max knew what was about to happen, and it was going to change everyone’s lives forever. Neither one was going to pretend that their friends were oblivious, it was apparent how much they loved each other.

“God Liz I thought I was going to die when you were taken, but somehow I was able to connect with you. It was so strange, the feelings I went through, the dreams we shared while we waited for you to return.” Max was at a loss for words, and he refused to allow Liz to leave his arms.

“Max I love you, I always have, always will. We are the only ones who can defeat Khivar, and in order to do that we have to take the next steps. Do you know how many of those dreams that I had during our awakening I was afraid would never have in reality.”

Her words were cut off by Max’s lips crashing down on hers. Neither was in the mood for slowness that could be done later when they weren’t pressed for time. Tearing at clothes, both were stripped down quicker than they were expecting. Max wanted Liz’s love knew that once they took this step, there would be no going back. The whole world would know that she belonged to him and not just because she would bear the tattoo of their galaxy.

Hands moved up and down bodies, lips kissed patches of skin that was barred to them as they could. Looking into Liz’s eyes, Max needed to know that she was ok with this. “Liz.. I have to take you now. We have to do this but. I love you too much to hurt you.”

“My Max, your too kind, relax. I love you, and nothing will ever change that. Make the world know that I belong to you.” Liz spoke on a sigh as his lips found a spot that was most sensitive just behind her ear.

No more talking was done, both merely giving themselves over to the feeling of being in each other’s arms. Positioning himself at just the right spot, Max swiftly entered Liz gasping almost immediately at the sensation of being inside of his one true love. Pain ripped through Liz but only for a moment as she felt the warm tingling of Max’s healing powers rush through her, something he was doing almost unconsciously.

As they moved against each other, power shot out all around them. It started with their bodies glowing gold and expanded outwards. Their ability encompassed everyone in the tiny house, letting them feel the love of their king and queen. It was obvious what was happening, the need to be accepted and loved thick in the air. No one was going to interrupt them, but they knew that tomorrow things would change.

For two hours, Max and Liz moved with each other, allowed their love to pour into each other as much as they gave. At the height of their passion they could feel themselves merge into the other, explore their bond sealing. Being able to read each other’s minds was the result as they broke apart and reformed.

Laying there, in each other’s arms, Max and Liz simply basked in the pleasure of each other. Liz rested her head on Max’s chest and let herself fall asleep. Max would stay awake a bit longer making sure that nothing was going to hurt them as they rested. He had seen the flashes of what happened to Liz during her time on Antar and it bothered him. They needed to take care of Khivar, to show their people that they weren’t gone for good. As long as Liz was by his side, Max knew that he be anywhere and happy.

The morning came too quickly for everyone, and the smell of pancakes and waffles drifted to the nose of the still sleeping occupants. As each person awoke slowly, they dressed and headed into the kitchen were Rath and Michael was making breakfast. Both had come to an agreement, and they knew that things were only going to get more interesting.

Each member of the group sat there eating wondering just what was going to happen. They weren’t ready to face Khivar, not yet at least. That battle is for another time and another story; instead they were still trying to understand everything that had been told to them. The granolith was calling each of the aliens in a way, wanting them to bring the humans along for the ride.

Everyone one knows the truth behind the lies but the future was still up in the air.


End file.
